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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28005447">Round Robin December 2020</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinsrfun10/pseuds/sinsrfun10'>sinsrfun10</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Round-Robin Stories by Month [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Christmas, Corrupt Governments, Darkness, Deities, Destruction, Exploding trees, Gen, Guardians - Freeform, Hope, Implied Violence, Magic, Magic vs Technology, Mana - Freeform, Plague, Planets, Revolution, Round Robin, Solar Systems, Violence, Yule, bad choices made to save the world/universe, plot holes, reproductive systems, rules are important, we keep world building why do we keep world building?</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:55:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>75,994</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28005447</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinsrfun10/pseuds/sinsrfun10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>From the minds of Laicolasse, Sinsrfun10, and Calenlas come a new round robin story! This story is all about following the rules (or finding the loopholes). Everyday we write new rules and we have to fit the characters we came up with into this new universe we created. It is pretty interesting so far....</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Round-Robin Stories by Month [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952620</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Writer's Rules</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Comments made before writing this fic: "We were just lucky it was divisible by 3</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>These are our writing rules for the month of December 2020.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I learned how to create lists for HTML! I'm so excited about this!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <ol>
<li>World Rules cannot be blacked</li>
<ol>
<li>A new World Rule must be added every day
<ol>
<li>No more than 9 world rules may be added in a single day</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>The first writer on any given day MUST add the new World rule
</li>
<li>If no one wrote on a particular day, a World Rule must still be added retroactively for each day missed.
<ol> 
<li>Amendment: A retroactively added rule must be dated with the day it was actually written and a note indicating which day it was retroactively for.</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>New World Rules are not allowed to outright negate prior World Rules
</li>
<li>Each World Rule must be dated, beginning with the World Rule made on Dec. 1, 2020
<ol>
<li>Amendment: (4 Dec 2020) If there are multiple rules on one day, each rule must be dated and numbered for that day.</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>World Rules begin on a new page after the clauses and prior to the Allowed Character bios<br/>
</li>
</ol>



<li>The document is shared in order of writing<br/>
<ol>
<li>Order: Calenlas → Sinsrfun10 → Laicolasse  *When you complete your turn, add a comment addressed to the next person (that is their signal to begin writing)
<ol>
<li>Amendment: A writer may not AD write for a prior day. In other words, she must complete her turn before handing the story to the next writer and cannot continue her turn after handing the story over even as an AD self.
</li>
<li>Amendment on 4 December 2020: A writer may not significantly alter (grammar and spelling edits are okay) another writer’s writing without permission.
</li>
<li>Amendment on 4 December 2020: The maximum amount of time a single writer may take on a single turn from the moment they begin writing (even if it is only one word or even one letter or even deleted later) is 36 hours. At that time, even if the writer is in the middle of a sentence or a word, she must pass the document to the next writer.
</li>
<li>Amendment on 4 December 2020: Twins may not claim twin privilege to write during the other twin’s turn.
</li>
<li>Amendment on 9 December 2020: Amendment 2.a.iii is hereby repealed</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>Amendment: Send a text or verbally tell the next writer when it is her turn</li>
</ol>



</li>
<li>A writer is allowed to black any text she chooses aside from the exceptions stated in Clauses 1, 4, &amp; 7.



</li>
<li>A writer is not allowed to black character names or physical descriptions
<ol><li>Amendment: a writer may not black significant world-building details such as but not limited to “The nearest body of water is 50 miles away”</li></ol>



</li>
<li>When "The End" is written, the round-robin writing has come to an end and all writers will review the story<br/>
<ol>
<li>The End” cannot be written prior to Dec. 31, 2020.<br/>
</li>
<li>The reviewing will not happen until New Year’s Day, Jan 1 2021</li>
</ol>



</li>
<li>The first writer to begin writing on a new day must date the document at the location where she begins writing after inserting a page break.<br/>
<ol><li>Amendment: if the writer realizes it is a new day while writing, she must make every effort to move what she has written on the new day to the new day unless it breaks a sentence.
<ol>
<li>Amendment: If a writer is unable to or finds extreme hassle to add a header due to the device she is writing on, she may request that another writer add the page break and header for her and must indicate the break is.<br/>
</li>
<li>Amendment: It is allowable for one or more writers to set up the dated page breaks in advance so that they are prepared for all writers as needed.</li>
</ol>
</li></ol>



</li>
<li>Characters appearing in the Allowed Characters Bios section are Allowed Characters:<br/>
<ol>
<li>Bios for each Allowed Character may not be blacked and appear on a new page after the World Rules and before the story.
</li>
<li>World Rules only strictly apply to Allowed Characters, with the exception of World Rules which, if not followed, would destroy the world (unless the added character’s goal is to destroy the world).
</li>
<li>Added characters do not have bios in the Allowed Character Bios and may be created as necessary by the writers.
<ol><li>An added character may be amended into the Allowed Character Bios in the event that the writers agree that the Added Character has taken on a major role in the world.</li></ol>
</li>
<li>Amendment: The base number of allowed characters will be determined by the roll of a d20. That number will be recorded here: 15.
</li>
<li>An Allowed Character may not be stricken from the Allowed Character Bios even in the case of death.
<ol> <li>Death need not necessarily be permanent for an Allowed Character.</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>If the writers agree that a particular detail is essential enough, it may be added to the Allowed Character Bios via a dated amendment.</li>
</ol>

</li>
</ol>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Allowed Character Bios</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>These are all of our allowed characters. You're welcome.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments on the bios we wrote:<br/>Just a note: people other than Jule who are familiar with weapons may call them glaives instead. Some glaives are a single blade of a particular kind attached to a pole (kind of  like a special type of spear) but some look more like this. WOW, for instance, uses a weapon similar to the one I described for Demon Hunters and calls them glaives</p><p>"Is this supposed to be fury? I didn't think that Malug Ullu Rusur had fur..." "That is supposed to be fury."</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Aman (male): Aman is a youthful man, tall in stature, lithe in form. Magic flows in his veins, and no one knows how old he truly is. He is generally good, but there is something dark in his past that occasionally causes him to be ill at ease and utterly unlike himself.</p><p>Rune Oreol  (female): When she was five, Rune’s father sealed a great evil inside of her and made her then three year old brother the key. It was necessary, her father told them, and it was a secret they could never tell anyone. To ensure this, he placed another seal upon them both to silence their tongues should they ever try to speak of the seal - after all, children are not always able to keep secrets. He had intended to lift the seal of their ability to talk about it when they were grown, but he died before he had the chance. It is Rune’s extreme pool of mana which powers the seal on the great evil, and it is her extreme emotions which can weaken it; thus, her magicless brother is the key - his blood will tighten the seal.</p><p>Mana (female): Named for the power in her veins, Mana grew up in a predominantly magic-less town. She has been, ever since people found out she had power, used by, well, everyone in town. If the innkeeper needed the chandelier repaired, it was Mana’s job. If the healer needed a rare herb, Mana had to collect it - after all she could ward herself against the dangerous beasts in the forest. Every banal, boring, difficult, and downright dangerous job in town was Mana’s. As such, her magic is rather unique. She has never had formal training, and she would likely flunk out of wizardry schools, but her magic is flexible in a way that stuffy college mages would never understand, and most would never care to. Still, her unique abilities may just hold the key to solving one of the nation’s greatest crises yet.</p><p>Dev (unspecified): Dev has always had an affinity for darkness. Dark magic, nighttime, black colored trinkets and clothing. Now Dev knows why.</p><p>Sorser (unspecified): Most people are either born with magic or born without. Sorser isn’t most people. Sorser was both born with and born without: born with a vast pool of mana and born without a link to it. </p><p>Taylor (unspecified): Taylor was born into a large family. Taylor is estranged from their family. Taylor owns their own smithy and makes well-crafted armor and weapons for those who commission them. Their main trade is making pans, kettles, and horseshoes for the people in the small town they live in. Everyone in the town wants to marry off the well-respected blacksmith, but they are a very private person. </p><p>Percival Oreol (male): When Percival was three, he was traumatized when his father sealed a great evil inside his older sister and made him the key to her seal. His lack of mana and inability to wield it made him the perfect key to his father. Unfortunately, his father died before he could reverse the magic silencing his sister and he about the great evil. Percival travels light to insure that he never faces the great evil in his sister.</p><p>Francis (male): Francis goes by Frank. The only one allowed to call Frank Francis is dead and has been for 15 years. His mother gave him his beautiful clear blue eyes and his dark complexion. His father gave him nothing but half of his DNA. Until he found a letter from his father explaining why he had to leave. Frank still hasn’t forgiven him.</p><p>Adrian “Vulpine Healer” “Clawing Healer” (unspecified): Adrian is a fox shifter of a young age. Their parents and their other litter mates moved easily from town to town, but Adrian liked their newest “hometown” and didn’t want to leave. They had made a close friend that resembled them closely. Many nearby thought that they were siblings with their twin sun-red hair and dark brown eyes. When Adrian’s close friend died, Adrian wanted to know why. They became a healer. A healer that is as likely to heal you as claw you when you ask for their help. Adrian appreciates politeness and prefers you to make appointments for healing. (Added 8 Dec.) Do not call Adrian anything but Healer or Vulpine Healer to his face. Do not mention his past clawings. You may have just added yourself to that list of people that he has healed and clawed.</p><p>Trei Eknal (unspecified): Trei is a fae that protects faerie rings. More specifically they protect faerie rings made of mushrooms. Trei shares many characteristics with mushrooms, but “shhhhh” they <em>really</em> don’t like others to comment on the similarities between them and mushrooms. Trei is not their full name and most would be wise about what name you tell Trei. Trei is very much fae and you will be in exquisite pain if you destroy a mushroom around them.</p><p>Winter (female): While not her real name, the elven frost mage goes by “Winter” as humans find it difficult to pronounce her true elven name: Rhîwgwaewen. They add all kinds of strange inflections trying to pronounce it…. It’s not so much that she minds, but that it’s simply easier. The meaning is there anyway, mostly (Winter Storm was too long for most humans to bother with, and it caused a few misunderstandings during summer). Having lived for 250 years, she is still considered very young among the elves, only a half century past her coming of age. People often mistake her cold gaze as condescending or uncaring, but it is simply a byproduct of guarding herself - a frozen wall built out of need because of what happened. She feels more deeply than most - and to some degree, she fears this as her magic becomes unstable when her emotions are unstable. Her hair is white as snow, her skin covered in a natural, magical frost. Her eyes appear a striking, sapphire blue - the color of raw lyrium (Dragon Age version of Mana). They glow, but only ever so slightly - only a trained eye would notice. This is on account of her using her lyrium to restore sight to her now blinded eyes. If she were to stop concentrating lyrium into her eyes, they would appear a ghostly white color.</p><p>Jule (unspecified): They walk in the shadows most of the time, clad in simple leather armor and a green hood. They wield weapons forged by a secretive bladesmith who recognized their talent and sought to make them the perfect weapons - a final legacy. The weapons, identical to each other and wielded one in each hand, appear much like two daggers connected at the grip. They use these twinblades (as they have taken to calling them) to bring justice where justice is needed most.</p><p>Inani Truella (unspecified): A famous actor rarely seen in public, no one knows their true identity, and they like it that way. Beautiful enough to play the most enchanting princess, yet handsome enough to play a dashing prince, and mysterious enough to play an insidious villain, there is no role this actor has not played, nor one that would not suit them. They live and breathe theatre.</p><p>Malug Ullu Rusur (male): Often mistaken for a demon because of the regal horns (deep obsidian black that seem alive with writhing flames as lines of pure blue water droplets encircle them) on his head, Malug Ullu Rusur is one of the last Guardians. The blood of dragons runs thick in his veins, but they were not the vicious beasts most humans ignorantly believed them to be. No, they were wise beyond measure, noble, and lovers of life. Gifted the name Malug by his parents, the now three-thousand-year-old dragon earned the title Ullu Rusur upon becoming a Guardian as he held the power of both water and fire. The Mark of the Guardian rests on his left arm, extending from the top of his shoulder to the base of his bicep. While he can call on the elements, he prefers to fight with his katana - blade dulled by magic - to reduce the harm to his opponents. However, if he must, he will unleash his full, unforgiving fury.</p><p>Jes Revno (unspecified): Considered a cooky inventor by most, Jes aspires to be like the famed Davin Chi who invented many new creations in his time, and drew up plans for several more that were ahead of his time. Whether it is dungeon diving, or intense haggling, Jes will do almost anything to get their hands on a part for their latest idea. While this did lead to the long, jagged scar running along their back, Jes would do it all again in a heartbeat.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. World Rules</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This is the complete collection of world rules for December. Don't worry if parts of them confuse you, they confused us too.</p><p>Some of the rules do contain spoilers. No, I cannot tell you which ones.</p><p>Total number of rules for the month: 68<br/>Average number of rules per day: &gt;2<br/>Total word count for the rules: 4,962</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments before writing this fic: "It's all about finding the loopholes."</p><p>Comments made while writing this fic: C: "So, now I'm going to write reaaaaaalllllly specific rules to prevent loopholes in the cases where I really don't want to be misinterpreted and really vague ones where I think it would be funny to see how it gets messed with." L: "And now my goal is to find loopholes in all your strict rules and ignore the loopholes in all of your vague ones." C: "I should have seen that coming."</p><p>"I spotted a loophole that I am totally going to manipulate. Not telling what it is."</p><p>"Yes, I realize how long this rule is (over 1000 words). How else was I supposed to establish the calendars with enough detail that they made sense?"</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Dec. 1, 2020</strong>: Magic is real; however, it has different names in different places, and some people do not believe in it.</p><p><strong>Dec. 2, 2020</strong>: Gravity applies to anything located on any given landmass. These landmasses may not be necessarily connected to a planet.</p><p><strong>Dec. 3, 2020: Rule 1</strong> All kinds of fantasy races like dwarves, elves, and dragonborn, to name a few, exist. Some communities are not aware of and/or do not believe in the existence of some or all races other than their own. Also, some groups have misperceptions about what other races are like. For example, a human might believe elves exist, but think they are three inches tall and spend their lives making shoes when elves are in reality tall and graceful, and they do not necessarily make shoes.</p><p><strong>Dec. 3, 2020: Rule 2</strong> It is possible for two completely different races to have the same name if at least one of the following conditions is met. (1) the name was given to both groups by others, but neither group refers to themselves in that way. (2) one group actually calls themselves by that name and the other group does not, but people tend to mistake the second group for the first. (3) the two groups were unaware of each other or at least unaware of the name the other group went by and/or were given when they chose what to call themselves. (4) others assumed the two races were either the same or similar enough to have a single collective term to refer to them, (a) and they have adopted that term over time, (b) but they have different names for themselves because they are or feel different.</p><p><strong>Dec. 3, 2020: Rule 3</strong> Naming subraces can be a thing, but does not have to be. For example, one group may call all elves elves, while a different group may refer to blood elves and wood elves separately while understanding implicitly that they are all elves. </p><p><strong>Dec. 3, 2020: Rule 4</strong> There are two Calendars of the world (the ways in which time is counted): The Standard Calendar, and the Dark Reckoning. When referring to the Standard Calendar, dates are given as a year followed by the era (e.g. 1242 F.E.). Dates given in the Dark Reckoning are given as a year, followed by the era, followed by a demarcation that this is Dark Reckoning (e.g. 123 S.E. DR). The timeline of history for each calendar is as follows:</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>The Standard Calendar:<br/>
Pre Eras (P.E.), counted in reverse with 1 P.E. being the year preceding 1 F.E. because Historians are unclear how long P.E. actually is. P.E. is often considered “the time before time” and is sometimes referred to as “the Era of the Gods.”<br/>
First Era (F.E). 1 F.E. marks the year in which the first Peoples (general term for inhabitants of the worlds) awoke. At this time, only the Poscom System had Peoples. 5953 F.E. marks the end of the First Era when the great destruction that began with the Great Catastrophe in 5503 F.E. ended and left the world reshaped.<br/>
Second Era (S.E.) 1 S.E. marks the founding of the Empire which united the scattered Peoples who survived the destruction. 1246 S.E. marks the end of the Second Era and the slaying of the Great Evil at the hands of Percival Oreol. The three months prior to the slaying of the Great Evil once again saw a great reshaping of the worlds.<br/>
Third Era (T.E.) 1 T.E. marks the beginning of an era of Chaos. The scars left behind by the Great Evil were not quick to heal - in the hearts of the Peoples or in the hearts of the worlds themselves. By 413 T.E. the worlds had come to the brink of collapsing, and the worlds were once again reshaped (this coincides with the Guardians sacrificing themselves to save the worlds; however, this is not widely known).<br/>
Fourth Era (Fo.E.) 1 Fo.E. marked the beginning of a great expansion as the Peoples sought out new places to live following the near-destruction of the world. It was an age of exploration, and, in this Era, the second and third solar systems were discovered and inhabited. 1728 Fo.E. marked the end of expansion when scholars discovered that, beyond the three solar systems was nothingness in which the Peoples could not survive - this nothingness is actually the Great Vastness and is inhabited by ethereal/divine beings, the Guardians, and the souls of the dead in various areas where they have been judged to belong by the Voice; however, the Peoples do not know this.<br/>
Fifth Era (Fi.E.) 1 Fi.E. is the only year in which an Era began in which a great change in the state of the worlds themselves did not occur. In 825 Fi.E., the Darkness came and began reshaping the worlds once again. 830 Fi.E. marks the defeat of the Darkness.<br/>
Sixth Era (Si.E.) 1. Si.E. marks the beginning of the current era - an era of relative peace (at least so far) after the vanquishing of the Darkness. </p>
</blockquote>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>The Dark Reckoning (DR):<br/>
Pre Eras (P.E.), counted in reverse with 1 P.E. DR being the year preceding 1 F.E. DR because Historians are unclear how long P.E. DR actually is. P.E. DR is often considered “the time before time” and is sometimes referred to as “the Era of the Gods.”<br/>
First Era (F.E). 1 F.E. DR marks the year in which the first Peoples (general term for inhabitants of the worlds) awoke. At this time, only the Poscom System had Peoples. 5502 F.E. DR marks the year before the Great Catastrophe.<br/>
Second Era (S.E.) also termed the “Dark Era.” 1. S.E. DR marks the Great Catastrophe which begins the Great Destruction which lasted until 451 S.E. DR and drastically reshaped the worlds.<br/>
Third Era (T.E.) 1 T.E. DR marks the founding of the Empire which united the scattered Peoples who survived the destruction. 1246 T.E. DR marks the end of the Third Era and the slaying of the Great Evil at the hands of Percival Oreol. The three months prior to the slaying of the Great Evil once again saw a great reshaping of the worlds and was only just barely not made an era in Dark Reckoning because it was not a full year.<br/>
Fourth Era (Fo.E.) 1 Fo.E. DR marks the beginning of an era of Chaos. The scars left behind by the Great Evil were not quick to heal - in the hearts of the Peoples or in the hearts of the worlds themselves. By 413 Fo.E. DR, the worlds had come to the brink of collapsing, and the worlds were once again reshaped (this coincides with the Guardians sacrificing themselves to save the worlds; however, this is not widely known).<br/>
Fifth Era (Fi.E.) 1 Fi.E. DR marked the beginning of a great expansion as the Peoples sought out new places to live following the near-destruction of the world. It was an age of exploration, and, in this Era, the second and third solar systems were discovered and inhabited. 1728 Fi.E. DR marked the end of expansion when scholars discovered that, beyond the three solar systems was nothingness in which the Peoples could not survive - this nothingness is actually the Great Vastness and is inhabited by ethereal/divine beings, the Guardians, and the souls of the dead in various areas where they have been judged to belong by the Voice; however, the Peoples do not know this.<br/>
Sixth Era (Si.E.) 1 Si.E. DR is the only year in which an Era began in which a great change in the state of the worlds themselves did not occur. 824 SI.E. DR ends Si.E. DR as the last year before the coming of the Darkness.<br/>
Seventh Era (Se.E) 1 Se.E. DR marks the coming of the Darkness. 6 Se.E. DR marks the defeat of the Darkness. This is the shortest recorded era in any calendar.<br/>
Eighth Era (E.E.) 1. E.E. DR marks the beginning of the current era - an era of relative peace (at least so far) after the vanquishing of the Darkness. </p>
</blockquote><p><strong>Dec. 4, 2020: Rule 1</strong> The planets known as Tierra, Dootenya, and Qwayla exist in the Poscom System.</p><p><strong>Dec. 4, 2020: Rule 2</strong> In all the planets and landmasses that exist in this world, there is a planet that does not still follow the two calendars of the world. This means that there are three Calendars of the world: Standard, Dark Reckoning, and Separatist. The timeline for the Separatist Calender is as follows:

</p>
<p></p><blockquote><p>The Separatist Calendar:<br/>
-In the Standard year 5505 F.E. (DR year 3 S.E.), the planet known as Qwayla isolated themselves from the other worlds.<br/>
-Qwayla announced their official isolation policies in the Standard year 5506 F.E. (DR year 4 S.E.) with the massacre of all the Peoples on the ship Dhaoinesa Orsa.<br/>
-The other worlds began calling Qwayla, Neacha Irleth, or Separate People.<br/>
-Qwayla kept the numbering from the Standard Calender of the F.E. They call their current time from the F.E. the Era of Now (E.N.).<br/>
-Era changes in the Standard and DR Calendars translated into E.N. (This is solely for clarification purposes):<br/>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote><p>*Standard and DR P.E. is known as Era of Before (E.B.)<br/>
*5503 E.N. is DR 1 S.E.<br/>
*5954 E.N. is DR 1 T.E.<br/>
*5954 E.N. is Standard 1 S.E.<br/>
*7200 E.N. is DR 1 Fo.E.<br/>
*7200 E.N is Standard 1 T.E.<br/>
*7612 E.N. is DR 1 Fi.E.<br/>
*7612 E.N. is Standard 1 Fo.E.<br/>
*9341 E.N. is DR 1 Si.E.<br/>
*9341 E.N. is Standard 1 Fi.E.<br/>
*10165 E.N. is DR 1 Se.E.<br/>
*10171 E.N. is DR 1 E.E.<br/>
*10171 E.N. is Standard 1 Si.E.</p></blockquote></blockquote><p><strong>Dec. 5, 2020: Rule 1</strong> There are ONLY three Calendars to track time in this universe.  </p><p><strong>Dec. 5, 2020: Rule 2</strong> The universe reshaping did reshape Qwayla, but it did not drastically reshape Qwayla.
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>-Qwa Trees still exist<br/>
-There are still four landmasses connected to Qwayla<br/>
-There are still a variety of climates and terrains on the Qway landmasses</p>
</blockquote><p><strong>Dec. 5, 2020: Rule 3</strong> Alternate Universes/Dimensions exist, but Qwayla is not from an alternate dimension or alternate universe.</p><p><strong>Dec. 6, 2020: Rule 1</strong> In T.E., there were ruins in many of the worlds left behind from the destruction during the release of the Great Evil.</p><p><strong>Dec. 6, 2020: Rule 2</strong> In T.E., dark beings were present in many places, born from the release of the Great Evil, and they became more prolific as the era continued. However, after the Guardians’ sacrifice at the end of T.E., most of these dark beings disappeared.</p><p><strong>Dec. 6, 2020: Rule 3</strong> Teleportation magic exits and takes different forms. However, some areas of the worlds interrupt teleportation magic, making it difficult or impossible to reach that location via teleportation.

</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>The Spiritheum Dunes in Vintelium cannot be teleported into or out of.<br/>
Qwayla and its associated landmasses cannot be teleported into or out of.<br/>
Oreol Manor in Aidil Men in the Humali Kingdom cannot be teleported into</p>
</blockquote><p><strong>Dec. 6, 2020: Rule 4</strong> Guardians can use a form of instant travel that is like teleportation magic but that does not have the same restrictions placed upon it.</p><p><strong>Dec. 6, 2020: Rule 5</strong> No Peoples from this universe have yet accessed any Alternate Universes/Dimensions, nor have they tried (as of 27 Si.E.), and no interdimensional travelers have made themselves known. (‘Interdimensional travelers’ here refers to both people from other universes and from other dimensions.) </p><p><strong>Dec. 6, 2020: Rule 6</strong> The Voice is the entity who created the primary universe (meaning the universe in which the Guardians exist since it is the first universe we have written in. This is not to say that the primary universe was the first [though it could be], nor is it necessarily hierarchically above others). The Voice existed in the Great Vastness before anything else and created the three solar systems. The Voice also created the Guardians in the Great Vastness. In addition to the Guardians, the Voice created several entities which could be considered deities. These entities were each gifted a portion of the three solar systems to ‘manage’ (sort of like landlords). The powers of each entity differ; however, none have the ability to create Peoples.</p><p><strong>Dec. 6, 2020: Rule 7</strong> The same force of darkness was involved in the Great Catastrophe, the Great Evil, and the coming of the Darkness. All three incidents began in Dootenya and then spread to the rest of the worlds.</p><p><strong>Dec. 6, 2020: Rule 8</strong> During the period of Darkness from 825 Fi.E.-8:30 Fi.E. (10,165 E.N.-10170 E.N.), Qwayla suffered a plague that wiped out the majority of lifeforms on the planet and its associated landmasses. </p><p><strong>Dec. 7, 2020: Rule 1</strong> Most native Qway who survived the plague (of which there are very few) left Qwayla before the plague. Some of them have returned since and begun trying to reestablish their homeland.</p><p><strong>Dec. 7, 2020: Rule 2</strong> The entirety of the Council of the Nine perished during the time of the plague in Qwayla, and no new council has been established as of 27 Si.E. (10,197 E.N.).</p><p><strong>Dec. 7, 2020: Rule 3</strong> Any accidental mathematical inconsistencies made while trying to correlate dates between the three reckoning systems in prior rules are void. The correct correlation of dates has been clarified and established in the Round Robin Calendars Dec 2020 document and it will be held as the official guide for converting dates.</p><p><strong>Dec. 7, 2020: Rule 4</strong> Whether there was much technology before the Great Destruction (end of first era, standard calendar) or not, in the Second Era, Dootenya has medieval-fantasy style technology (e.g. horse drawn carriages, swords, bows, torches). Most things are handwritten as the printing press (or a form of it powered by magic) is a very new invention only really used to produce the newspaper and a few official documents. There is no electricity; however, there are lights that are powered by magic (these are rare in places like the Humali Kingdom which distrust magic). There is a surprisingly good plumbing system, however, and even some more technologically advanced planets have struggled to create sanitation systems as effective as those designed in Dootenya in the Second Era.</p><p><strong>Dec. 7, 2020: Rule 5</strong> One of the abilities of the Guardians is to send dreams to people’s minds in order to guide them on the right path. They cannot, however, choose the content of the dreams with any great detail. A Guardian sends a dream with an intent - such as ‘help this person learn of the assassin’s plan’ which might result in many different dreams from a ‘vision-like’ dream that more or less explicitly shows what the Guardian hopes to show (e.g. the assassin talking about or carrying out his plan) to a vague dream heavy with feeling (e.g. the person wakes up with an overwhelming sense that something bad is about to happen to the assassin’s target).</p><p><strong>Dec. 7, 2020: Rule 6</strong> Most deities (refer to Dec. 6 Rule 6) are not aware of the Guardians and vice versa. A select few have been granted such knowledge by the Voice.

</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>Part of Aman’s ‘gift’ from the Voice was ‘awareness’ which granted him knowledge of the Guardians’ existence and some of their powers. He can also detect the presence of magic and magic-like things (like the Great Evil or the Blessing of a Guardian). As a part of this awareness, he sometimes has minor visions of the future, though these are rare and usually come to him during purposeful communion with the Voice, something which became impossible for him for a long period of time after the Great Catastrophe.<br/>
Malug has awareness of other Guardians and their whereabouts at all times (though this is of little use to him after the Great Sacrifice). He is aware of the influence of a deity on another creature and the general effect of that influence, but does not know who all the deities are, nor can he identify which deity’s influence is on a person (though he can often deduce it if he is familiar with the deity whose influence is present).</p>
</blockquote><p><strong>Dec. 7, 2020: Rule 7</strong> Aman was one of the first deities and was once the closest deity to the Voice. However, after Aman made a mistake that led to the Great Catastrophe and subsequent great destruction, his connection to the Voice weakened considerably for a long time. He didn’t know this at the time (and may or may not find out), but this weakened connection was due to his own shame and fear getting in the way (like a mental wall).</p><p><strong>Dec. 7, 2020: Rule 8</strong> Amma Hleah (the Guardian who assisted Percival in the slaying of the Great Evil) only ever directly intervened once when Percival would have died without immediate medical attention, and at that time Percival was unconscious. Aman was the only one who saw Amma Hleah, and he promised not to tell anyone of her presence. He has kept his word and has not even written of her involvement in the book he later gave to Mana.</p><p><strong>Dec. 7, 2020: Rule 9</strong> There are three interdimensional beings in the Second Solar System as of 58 E.E. DR.</p><p><strong>Dec. 8, 2020: Rule 1</strong> Qwa Trees are more dangerous the brighter or darker they are. Qwa Trees are a light oaky wood color, any color changes may indicate explosions on the horizon. </p><p><strong>Dec. 8, 2020: Rule 2</strong> Mushroom rings are sacred. Visiting without permission is almost like teleporting near Qwa Trees. Dangerous and messy for the people involved. </p><p><strong>Dec. 8, 2020: Rule 3</strong> Pointing out shifter characteristics outside of family groups is rude. This is true even if you are a shifter or half-shifter. </p><p><strong>Dec. 9, 2020</strong>: Jule is not the kind of shifter (or half shifter) most people assume they are. Those of her race are normally mistaken for shifters, and that term could be used to describe them, but as a point of distinction, they refer to themselves as shape-changers. While shifters are born with a single animal form and half-shifters are always stuck in an in-between form, shape-changers can take any form as long as it belongs to an animal or one of the races of the world. Unlike shifters, their form does NOT change when they are heavily injured which often leads to the misperception by healers that they are half-shifters. Actually, a shape-changer is often “stuck” in whatever form they happen to be in when they are heavily injured because changing takes energy and can be painful, particularly when injured. </p><p><strong>Dec. 10, 2020: Rule 1</strong> Dootenya has three moons, and each one bears a distinct color (one yellow, one blue, and one red). The moons only appear in the sky together once a year, and once every year no moon appears in the sky. The pattern in which the moons appear is detailed in the chart below: </p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>Month 1-Yellow<br/>
Month 2-Blue<br/>
Month 3-Red<br/>
Month 4-Blue<br/>
Month 5-Yellow<br/>
Month 6-No Moon<br/>
Month 7-Yellow<br/>
Month 8-Blue<br/>
Month 9-Red<br/>
Month 10-Blue<br/>
Month 11-Yellow<br/>
Month 12-All Moons</p>
</blockquote><p><strong>Dec. 10, 2020: Rule 2</strong> The race of elves Rhîwgwaewen (Winter) belongs to counts years by cycles of the moon. One moon cycle is equivalent to one year. As such, the elves like Winter have taken to referring to their age in moons (an abbreviated form of moon cycle) where 1 moon = 1 year.</p><p><strong>Dec. 11, 2020: Rule 1</strong> While most people believe that Percival slew the Great Evil, he actually was forced to kill his sister, Rune. This was part of a larger, necessary plan to once more banish the Great Evil through Aman’s power - something Aman had done once before.</p><p><strong>Dec. 11, 2020: Rule 2</strong> Aman used significantly more of his power in the second banishing of the Great Evil than in the first, and this took a toll on his very existence so that he knew he would not be able to do so again, nor was he certain how long he would continue to exist. This is why he began writing the book which he later gave to Mana in which he detailed the first coming of the Great Evil (the Great Catastrophe and subsequent great destruction) which he had caused and remedied, the second coming and its resolution (at the time of Percival - Rune’s involvement had heretofore been unknown by anyone but the those directly involved), and the theory that it would come again with instructions for how to grasp Aman’s essence even after his passing. He made this book readable only by those blessed by a Guardian, for only they would be able to accomplish such a thing and survive it, and Aman still blamed himself for Rune’s death - something he did not want to be repeated.</p><p><strong>Dec. 11, 2020: Rule 3</strong> When a deity ceases to exist, their essence remains. It is possible for another being to grasp and absorb that essence; however, most people would die from this. Other deities are capable of surviving the absorption if their gift was similar. A person blessed by one of the Guardians is also capable of surviving the absorption if the gift of the deity aligns with the purpose of the blessing. The absorption can be split between multiple people as well; however, this does not minimize the negative impacts that it can have. </p><p><strong>Dec. 11, 2020: Rule 4</strong> Absorption of the essence of a deity grants limited access to the deity’s gift. Splitting the absorption between multiple people grants a greater overall access to the deity’s gift. For example, absorbing the essence of Aman would grant one person a piece of his melody, allowing that person to do minimal things like the erasing of the deer’s tracks. Split between three people, each person would get a different piece of the melody which, when used in harmony, would come closer to the complete melody and allow access to much greater powers (though not the full extent of Aman’s power by any means). </p><p><strong>Dec. 11, 2020: Rule 5</strong> Dev is a reincarnation of the Great Evil that was born into the worlds sometime after the vanquishing of the Darkness by the three heroes.</p><p><strong>Dec. 11, 2020: Rule 6</strong> Nullerne is the name of a planet that used to exist in the Poscom System. It had always been uninhabited, and then, close to the beginning of the Great Destruction, it blew up and ceased to exist. Hence, the phrase “you look like you got too close to Nullerne” has come to mean that a person is in really bad shape, usually due to injuries.</p><p><strong>Dec. 11, 2020: Rule 7</strong> Elglins are a People known for their speed, their affinity with the earth, and their ability to minorly manipulate gravity. In appearance, they are similar to humans, though their skin is always one of three general tones: deep olive green, umber brown, or obsidian black. They tend to have brightly colored hair that contrasts their skin, and their eyes are usually a pastel color, often similar to the color of their hair. An elgin with electric blue hair, for instance, might have baby blue eyes. White hair is usually paired with grey eyes.</p><p><strong>Dec. 14, 2020 for Dec. 12, 2020:</strong> Westwood Way is the place for all filmmaking throughout the Poscom System. It sets all standards for acting and how to create films and plays. Many move to the Westwood Way landmass to make it as a film star. Most do not succeed.</p><p><strong>Dec. 14, 2020 for Dec. 13, 2020:</strong> Hope exists. There will never be a time without Hope. </p><p><strong>Dec. 14, 2020: Rule 3</strong> Duffle bags are important. They can save your life. </p><p><strong>Dec. 14, 2020: Rule 4</strong> While Malug Ullu Rusur mostly acts without making his presence known, he has always thought the insistence of Guardians avoiding revealing their presence at all costs was foolish and contrary to their purpose. Yes, their role was one of guidance, but it was also one of guards. They were meant to protect the worlds and their occupants, and if he had to make himself known to do so, he would.</p><p><strong>Dec. 14, 2020: Rule 4</strong> The negative energy that destroyed Trei’s mushroom faerie circles came from remnants of the Great Evil. It has been slowly seeping into Trei’s faerie circles because it “sensed” the resistance to itself. The circles in Whimwallow and outside the Humali Republic survived because Trei had visited those circles most recently. If they leave them unattended too long, they will be destroyed too. The period of time they can be unattended will shorten the closer time draws to the coming of the darkness, though this can be off-set to some degree depending on the amount of time and energy Trei devotes to making protective barriers.</p><p><strong>Dec. 16, 2020 for Dec 15, 2020:</strong> Hope is the name of a deity.</p><p><strong>Dec. 16, 2020: Rule 2</strong> The deity called Hope was, for a period of time, not in this dimension. Part of Hope’s gift is that Hope can split her essence even while still alive and put it inside of other beings. Doing so allows her to grant a portion of her power to those beings or for her to rest and regain her strength when she would ordinarily cease to exist (thus, Hope always exists).</p><p><strong>Dec. 18, 2020 for Dec 17, 2020:</strong> Dev came of age and learned of their true nature in 57 Si.E. and began traveling while coming to terms with this revelation. By 58 Si.E. Dev reached the second solar system.</p><p><strong>Dec. 18, 2020: Rule 2</strong> Flying magic requires the use of fire magic. (Credit to CoWorkers for Inspiration)</p><p><strong>Dec. 18, 2020: Rule 3</strong> The flesh of a Silv tree just below the outer bark is edible when cooked over the fire. It has a texture like jerky and has a woody flavor that is somewhere between savory and sweet.</p><p><strong>Dec. 21,2020 for Dec. 19, 2020:</strong> Time is mutable. Calendars are not.</p><p><strong>Dec. 21, 2020 for Dec. 20, 2020:</strong> Dogs are the best friend a magic-user can hope for, a shifter is better, but only due to the ability to mutually communicate.</p><p><strong>Dec. 21, 2020: Rule 3</strong> Qwaylans were not welcome in the Poscom System after the plague hit.</p><p><strong>Dec. 22, 2020:</strong> Resurrection magic is considered a form of taboo magic in most cultures because the only magic that brings people back from the dead turns them into puppets of the reviver, zombies, or some other form of mindless revenant.</p><p><strong>Dec. 23, 2020: Rule 1</strong> There is a race of people known as Magis. The men of this race are warlocks and the women are witches. Occasionally, a ‘True Magi’ is born - one who is neither man nor woman and exhibits the powers of both. Warlocks are born with the ability to ‘pact’ to a spirit (their term for deities) and, in exchange for fulfilling a condition given by the spirit, they gain a portion of the spirit’s power (the deity’s gift). Witches are born with the ability to manipulate one (and only one) of the five elements: wind, water, earth, fire, and light. The degree of a Magi’s power varies. For Warlocks, it depends entirely upon the pact - how strong the spirit they are bound to is, and how much of the spirit’s power is shared (usually more power requires a bigger condition). For Witches, it depends on how much they immerse themselves in their element (a water-attribute Witch who spends a lot of time swimming, and drinks plenty of water would, for instance, likely be stronger than one who lives in a desert and prefers to drink ale).</p><p><strong>Dec. 23, 2020: Rule 2</strong> Every planet and landmass has a Core. If this Core is destroyed, so is the planet/landmass. A deity can absorb the power of a Core, but doing so destroys both the planet/landmass and the deity, though not all deities know this. It would take a blessing from The Voice for a deity to be able to safely absorb the power of a Core - such a thing has only happened once in all of history when, during the Pre Era, a deity asked the voice for permission to absorb the Core of a small landmass in the First Solar System in order to prevent the landmass from destroying one of the other planets which it was hurtling toward. After absorbing the Core of the landmass, the deity’s nature was changed. Formerly, it was the Deity of the Heavenly Lights, but after absorbing the Core of the landmass, it became the force of Gravity. The Core of each planet is a secret known only to The Voice, the Guardians, and certain Deities. The Peoples of the world do not know of the existence of the Cores (with the exception of a few Warlocks and True Magis whose pacts relate to the Core - though these are few, especially after the Great Catastrophe). There is only one other exception: Aman wrote about the Core Oak in the book that he gave to Mana, though he only said it was “related to the life of Dootenya” and “a great source of power which, if used, would destroy its wielder and the planet.”  
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>Dootenya’s Core is the Core Oak which, after the Great Catastrophe, was covered by a giant sand dune in the center of what became known as Spiritheum Dunes (prior to this, it was simply the central tree in Girinel Forest). The only remaining entities who know about the Core Oak are Aman, Malug Ullu Rusur, and The Voice.</p>
</blockquote><p><strong>Dec. 24, 2020</strong>: After Qwayla’s isolation, Tierra and Dootenya wrote an agreement called the Agreement of Isolation of 1 S.E. The central governing body of Tierra and the Humali Empire signed the agreement shortly after the Empire was established.</p><p><strong>Dec. 25, 2020: Rule 1</strong> Christmas is celebrated on Tierra.</p><p><strong>Dec. 25, 2020: Rule 2</strong> While they don’t know it yet, Malug Ullu Rusur blessed Em, Greg, and Samantha as Guardian Disciples before leaving to find additional disciples because he recognized that the deity Hope had separated her essence among the three of them. This granted them immortality like it did for Mana.</p><p><strong>Dec. 26, 2020</strong>: Dootenya celebrates Yuletide - a week-long festival that takes place during winter in the last week of the year.</p><p><strong>Dec. 27, 2020</strong>: There is a protector of libraries who will attack anyone who attempts to destroy knowledge.</p><p><strong>Dec. 29, 2020 for Dec. 28, 2020</strong>: Greg is not allowed to name anything, including children.</p><p><strong>Dec. 29, 2020: Rule 2</strong> Interdimensional travel is not teleportation, even when traveling leaving and reentering the same dimension.</p><p><strong>Dec. 29, 2020: Rule 3</strong> Interdimensional travel is nonlinear.</p><p><strong>Dec. 30, 2020</strong>: The mark on Em and Greg’s baby girl’s back is a sign of Malug Ullu Rusur’s blessing. Since the baby was still being formed when he granted the blessing, it is stronger than other blessings he has granted. The mark’s coloring is a swirling mix of water and fire colors.</p><p><strong>Dec. 31, 2020: Rule 1</strong> Dev gets a happy ending. Not everyone gets one of those.</p><p><strong>Dec. 31, 2020: Rule 2</strong> Fred is short for Frederica.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>All comments made while reviewing the rules will be attributed to the date that those rules were created on.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. 1 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>First rule, first day of writing!</p>
<p>Total words written on day one: 2,014</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments made while writing this fic: "I totally thought of Asmodeus when I read this." "Well that's probably because I kept thinking of Asmodeus when trying to name him, but I didn't want his name to be the same as a demon's, so..."</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rule 1: Magic is real; however, it has different names in different places, and some people do not believe in it.</p>
<p> </p><h4>Oreol Manor, Aidil Men, Humali Kingdom, 1232 Second Era (S.E.)</h4>
<p>It was midnight, and the Oreol children were asleep as young children should be. Asmoden sighed heavily as he rushed quietly through the halls of his own house like a thief in the night, careful not to wake his wife. He hated what he was about to do, but there was no choice.</p>
<p>“Rune.” He shook his five year old daughter awake, shushing her and signaling for her to follow him.</p>
<p>“Where are we going, Father?”</p>
<p>“You will see.” Her father replied grimly. They entered the room of his three year old son. “Percival, son, wake up.”</p>
<p>“Father? Rune?” A bleary-eyed Percival sat up in his bed.</p>
<p>“Come, and keep quiet.” Asmoden picked his son up, Rune trailing behind him as he walked as quickly as his daughter’s short legs could carry her.</p>
<p>When they were out of the manor, he brought his children to his horse and placed Percival upon it, lifting Rune up next and mounting behind them both. “Hold on tight.”</p>
<p>“Where are we going?” Percival asked the same question his sister had minutes before.</p>
<p>Asmoden tightened his grip on the reins. “To a place you should never have had to come.” He took a deep breath. “Listen to me, children. What transpires tonight you must never tell anyone, even your mother.”</p>
<p>“Why not?” Rune questioned. She had always been a curious child, and a good one. “Mother says we are not to keep secrets from her.”</p>
<p>“And usually that would be so.” Asmoden replied. “For any other matter, it is so. But not this. You will understand when you are older.” He sighed. “But for now, I will use magic to make it easier to stay quiet.” </p>
<p>Asmoden urged the horse faster down the path toward the outskirts of town, through the forest’s edge to the place where he had sensed it. He had warned the royal family, but it seems they still distrusted the word of mages and had done nothing.</p>
<p>Now it was too late.</p>
<p>He would have to sacrifice his own children’s futures to save the lives of countless innocent people. And he hated that. He wanted so badly to ignore this, to not be responsible, to take his family and flee.</p>
<p>But he could not.</p>
<p>Even if he did take his family and run, it would be futile anyway. If he did nothing now, the whole world would be destroyed sooner or later. He would only be postponing the inevitable. And besides, he was a good man, and a righteous one. And his wife, if she ever knew, would have told him not to run - that it was wrong to ignore the suffering of others to preserve one’s own happiness. </p>
<p>Still, he hoped she would never find out.</p>
<p>“We are almost there.” Asmoden told the children when they were deep in the forest. “This will be painful, but you must bear with it.”</p>
<p>He felt the children shudder in fear as they came closer - he knew they could feel it. Especially Rune - her magic was even greater than his own, so she would be more sensitive to things like this. Keeping one hand on the reins, he used the other to wrap protectively around the children, hoping to calm them.</p>
<p>“What is it, Father?” Rune’s shaking voice pierced daggers into Asmoden’s heart.</p>
<p>He had to bring his children to this.</p>
<p>“A great evil.” He replied. “And it will destroy the world if we let it be.”</p>
<p>The children gasped.</p>
<p>“We are going to seal it.” Asmoden tried to sound calm for the children. “It will not be easy, but it can be done.” He pulled the reins to stop the horse and hopped down, helping Rune and Percival down after him. “I need you both to be brave, okay?” He placed one hand on each of his children’s shoulders.</p>
<p>They nodded, though he could see the fear in their eyes.</p>
<p>“Good children.” He hugged them tightly to his chest. “I am sorry.”</p>
<p>From then, Asmoden explained what he needed the children to do. Thankfully, Rune and Percival were both intelligent and well-behaved, so even at the ages of five and three, they were able to understand and comply with the necessary arrangements despite the fear he knew they must be feeling. After drawing an intricate magic circle, he had Rune lay in the center of it. He then drew a smaller circle overlapping the first on one side and had Percival lay there. The children were good and did not struggle or cry out even when he used magic to make restraints out of the earth to hold them down. He hated doing this, but it was necessary. The sealing process was going to be painful, and they would have to hold still during or the whole thing would fail.</p>
<p>And that would be worse than not trying.</p>
<p>Asmoden knew full well that he was risking the lives of his children and himself. He steeled his nerves and went to one end of the large magic circle and began to chant. By the time the great evil was in range, he had finished reciting the first part of the chant to activate the seal. The second part was shorter but harder. He had to maintain concentration on the large flow of mana he was pouring into the seal as well as on the pronunciation of the Ancient Tongue while listening to the cries of pain from his children as the seal took effect.</p>
<p>A column of light shot up from the magic circle enveloping the dark form of the great evil. It screeched and fought back, but Asmoden’s seal was well-prepared and won out. In a rush, the light swallowed the darkness, and the great evil was forced inside of Rune’s small body. A smaller column of light emanated around Percival, and a sharp splinter of light cut into his palm, causing a small trickle of blood to begin flowing out. The blood eerily filled in the magic circle around him, tinging the light red. Then, it was drawn along a predetermined path in the larger circle toward the center where, all in a rush, it rose slightly into the air and dove into Rune’s chest. Asmoden continued chanting until at length the light had all been absorbed and the forest was silent and calm. </p>
<p>The seal had worked.</p>
<p>He ran to his children, breaking the magical restraints he had put on them and gathering them up in his arms. Both Rune and Percival had passed out from the pain, and he held them tightly, mumbling apologies over and over again. At length, he chanted one more spell over them - a second seal which would prevent them from speaking of this night to anyone other than each other and himself. When they were older and fully understood the dangers of telling anyone about the seal, he would lift it. But for now, this was for the best.</p>
<p>When they awoke, he would teach them how to manage the seal on the great evil, but for now, he simply placed them on his horse and took them back to the manor, tucked them into bed, and prayed that the seal would never break. </p>
<p> </p><h4>Oreol Manor, Aidil Men, Humali Kingdom, 1244 S.E.</h4>
<p>“Congratulations!” </p>
<p>A large room full of relatives that Rune barely knew congratulated her on turning 17. She had officially come of age today. Still, she did not feel particularly excited. Normal girls would be looking for a husband by now. She was trying to avoid that at all costs.</p>
<p>It had been twelve years since her father had sealed the great evil inside of her, and ten years since he died before he could release the seal on her and Percival’s ability to talk about it. Rune herself was the vessel, and Percival was the key. Her large pool of mana was a source of renewal for the seal, keeping it strengthened so that the great evil would not break out. But magic is subject to emotions. If her emotions became too strong - especially negative ones - then the seal would weaken, and the great evil would have a chance to break free. </p>
<p>That way why a key was needed.</p>
<p>Percival had no magic of his own. That was important. He could not be affected by emotions the same way a mage could, and so his blood - which shared so much in common with her own - could act as a stabilizer.</p>
<p>Rune shuddered as she recalled the day they learned of her father’s death. She had been struggling all day to keep the seal in check, and finally broke down that night. Evil power began leaking out of her, and Percival had rushed to her room - ever since the seal was placed, his ability to sense such things had become keener than most mages. He had used the dagger he always carried to cut his hand and forced her to drink until she calmed down, and then the two had cried together and talked until the sun came up.</p>
<p>Rune hated the taste of blood.</p>
<p>Her concern now was that they had no way of transferring the seal in the future. Her father never wrote down the seal he had used, and he had not gotten to teaching it to her yet when he died. He had good reason for it. If someone found out about the seal, they might try to undo it or to otherwise take control of the power inside of her. Too many people were foolish and power hungry. They would not realize, until it was too late, that the great evil sealed inside of her could not be controlled. </p>
<p>Still, she would not live forever. And when she died, the seal would be broken. Before then, she would need to find a suitable host and transfer the seal. Or she and Percival would have to come up with a way to destroy the great evil once and for all. Neither option was panning out anytime soon, though. Their research over the years had proven fruitless. Sealing magic was not an easy topic to research since its practice was largely banned - her father was an exception as the Grand Mage of the fallen empire. He had been instructed in sealing magic as a young mage and had been one of the key voices in forbidding the use of such magic because he saw the dangers in it. But he had also voiced a concern over not teaching the subject at all because he knew the necessity of it as well. The Humali Kingdom which was established when the empire fell, however, had a great distrust of magic and had not listened to this caution.</p>
<p>As for how to destroy the great evil - even her father had no answer to that. He had told Rune and Percival that, had the royal family listened to his warnings, they could have prevented the great evil from coming into this world in the first place, but now that it was here, he knew of no power great enough to destroy it. He had also cautioned that the seal should not be shifted before it became absolutely necessary to do so, since every time the seal was shifted, it would be weakened, and the great evil would have a chance to escape which is why he had sealed it inside of Rune and not himself - aside from the fact that he could not perform the seal at the same time as being the subject of it. She was younger, and so it would be a longer period of time before a shift was necessary.</p>
<p>She sighed.</p>
<p>“Rune.” Percival tapped her on the shoulder. “Come on.”</p>
<p>Her coming of age celebration had been going on for a while now, and she was very tired of it, so she was more than glad when her now fifteen-year-old brother came to spirit her away while the guests were distracted by her fifth cousin’s poor attempt at juggling.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>S: So dramatic /whispers/<br/>L: /laughs/</p>
<p>S: /thinks/ This is such a dark beginning to our story</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. 2 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rule two and two new characters!</p>
<p>Day two total: 960<br/>Two-day total: 2,952</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rule 2: Gravity applies to anything located on any given landmass. These landmasses may not be necessarily connected to a planet.</p>
<p> </p><h4>The Smithy, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fourth Era (Fo.E.)</h4><p>Taylor had another fool walk in and just try to pick up a glowing hot horseshoe. Then the fool had the audacity to want Taylor to give him a discount! Taylor was very unhappy with this patron of their smithy and sent him to the healer just next door.</p>
<p>Taylor and Adrian, the Vulpine Healer, became acquaintances primarily due to the location of their places of business. They often referred their patrons to the other. The two became better acquainted after Taylor had run afoul of a new folding process they were trying out. Taylor not only burned themself but cut themself deeply on their foot. As they were cursing at the new process and their injuries, the Vulpine Healer had heard Taylor’s low cursing. It had intrigued them and they walked over to see what had gotten their blacksmith neighbor to use so many interesting new words. </p>
<p>Adrian had strolled in as casually as they could be, while still sporadically sheathing and unsheathing their claws, and asked, “What is with all this ruckus?”</p>
<p>Taylor had glared at them and replied along the lines of them only bleeding to death and that them bleeding to death was nothing special to see.</p>
<p>“Oh? I enjoy seeing someone bleed to death… but only if I caused them to be that way.” They held a paw with sheathed claws out to Taylor in an introduction. “I’m Adrian, the healer next door.”</p>
<p>Taylor had laughed and almost injured themself further after Adrian’s claim about making people bleed and being a healer.</p>
<p>Adrian healed them and they got to talking about the inconsequential things: why they moved to this little town named Denny Fairé, why they chose their professions, and their families. Well, actually they talked about none of that because Taylor is a very private person and Adrian would have rather faced...Adrian doesn’t dare think her name because then she’ll appear...  to disrupt their life again. </p>
<p>The smithy and the shifter healer bonded over the stupidity found in the masses and tales of the Second Era and how Percival was such a hero. Actually, they debated on whether Percival was a bigger hero than his sister. They adamantly disagreed with each other. It was only brought up when one of them needed to argue with someone without drawing blood. (No one else was talented enough with a weapon to almost outlast an angry fox shifter. Taylor was one of the few people on the entirely of Laoned Mass that had the stamina to match Adrian.)</p>
<p>Taylor knew sending their foolish patron would annoy Adrian. Taylor was also hoping that the foolish patron would not leave the healer without an additional injury because of his attitude. Adrian was known as the “Clawing Healer” for a reason.</p>
<p>Taylor went back to shaping horseshoes. They had to inspect the one that the foolish man had handled before attempting to work on it again. Taylor has a system for working on multiple shoes at once and the man ruined one-fifth of several hours worth of work. Taylor was really hoping the man left Adrian’s healing house clawed as well as still slightly singed. (Adrian was that good of a healer at only 20 summers.) </p>
<p>Taylor had moved to Denny Fairé several years ago to escape their large and meddling family. They kept insisting Taylor choose a gender and for Taylor to work on the gravitational fields for the large non-planetary masses in the Poscom System, where the Humali Kingdom was located in the Second Era. Taylor did not want to do either of those things and much preferred their family to stay out of their business. Taylor had purposefully moved without telling any of their family where they were going and had moved to a largely unknown solar system. They had wanted a simple life: eat, sleep, and make things. Taylor thought that their life now was pretty good.</p>
<p>Adrian had moved back to Denny Fairé when they had finished their healing apprenticeship. They were the youngest to finish an apprenticeship for healing since the First Era. (The First Era had a really large death rate because the healers weren’t trained long enough. It is the only reason that Adrian doesn’t hold the record for youngest.) They didn’t really feel accomplished for finishing the apprenticeship because they realized early in the apprenticeship that whatever had caused their untwin to die was not something easily healed with the power they or any healer had. </p>
<p>Adrian liked Denny Fairé. It was a nice little town that his family had helped settle when he was a cub. For almost three years, his parents and littermates had lived in Denny Fairé. Then their parents decided it was time to move on. Adrian was only eight summers and so was his untwin. Adrian refused to leave his untwin behind. Their parents let them stay. Adrian wrote letters to their parents and siblings. (Adrian was born in their parents’ first litter. They only met their youngest littermates twice.) There became a longer and longer wait in between letters because Adrian rarely had the most recent address to send mail to their family. As Adrian moved further away from their family, they grew closer to their untwin. The two were inseparable. Most beings who didn’t know that Adrian was a shifter believed them to be twins because both of them had sun-red hair, dark brown eyes, and a lovely light tan skin that freckled horribly from the dual suns that shone on Laoned Mass.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>“They talked about, well, none of that…” Laughter</p>
<p>“Other things I forgot about.”</p>
<p>“By the way, I love that detail.”</p>
<p>“The Untwin: Yet another plot point that was left by the wayside.”</p>
<p>“Why is it my fault?”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. 3 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rules 3-6 (Rule 6 is a doozy. It pushed word count for rules to over 1,000 words.)</p><p>Day three total: 1,690 words<br/>Three-day total: 4,642 words</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments made while writing this fic: C: Oh, I apologize for the ridiculously long rule - it's over 1000 words but since it's establishing the timeline it needed the detail for clarity.<br/>S: Oh? Btw I'm beginning to post November... duhn duhn dhun<br/>C: /behind computer screen/ /excited/<br/>You'll see it - essentially between the three of us we had established enough details that I felt it was time to organize - that and I wanted to clarify a few points about the worlds and have some fun with the calendars - there are two and they could make communicating the year an interesting issue for characters<br/>S: I made a reference in yesterday that mine was in the future of yours. Admittedly, I blacked the obvious part<br/>C: Yes - I accounted for that. L went even further in to the future as well as  much farther back in the past.<br/>L: I actually started this whole mess with the part I wrote. And I'm proud of it.<br/>S: Ah.<br/>L: Ah, nothing like throwing together a smash up (yeas, that's smash on purpose) of historical events and not bothering to write any of it. Oh and predicting doom... again<br/>C: She also began grouping some of our characters in time - we know which age a number of them are from now. And I have indicated about another one.<br/>L By the way /self-satisfied grin/<br/>S: I wrote about doom too... I think I blacked it though... (As I , S, was transcribing this I realized I in fact did not write about doom and wrote about a friendship in a little town.)<br/>C: Check that it coincides with the dooms I have listed in the rules - if it doesn't please let me know enough about it to add it.</p><p> </p><p>For quick reference, this is essentially the Era timeline that I will establish in this segment of the story:</p><p>?-1 Pre Eras (P.E.) *counts backwards like BC<br/>1-5953 First Era (F.E.)<br/>1-1246 Second Era (S.E.)<br/>1-413 Third Era (T.E.)<br/>1-1728 Fourth Era (Fo.E.)<br/>1-830 Fifth Era (Fi.E.)<br/>1-??? Sixth Era (Si.E)</p><p> </p><p>As note:<br/>1232 SE sealing of Great Evil by Asmoden.<br/>1244 SE Rune's 17th B-day<br/>1246 SE Rune's seal breaks and three months later Percival vanquishes the Great Evil (Percival 17, Rune 19)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 3:</strong>All kinds of fantasy races like dwarves, elves, and dragonborn, to name a few, exist. Some communities are not aware of and/or do not believe in the existence of some or all races other than their own. Also, some groups have misperceptions about what other races are like. For example, a human might believe elves exist, but think they are three inches tall and spend their lives making shoes when elves are in reality tall and graceful, and they do not necessarily make shoes.</p><p><strong>Rule 4:</strong>It is possible for two completely different races to have the same name if at least one of the following conditions is met.<br/>
(1) the name was given to both groups by others, but neither group refers to themselves in that way.<br/>
(2) one group actually calls themselves by that name and the other group does not, but people tend to mistake the second group for the first.<br/>
(3) the two groups were unaware of each other or at least unaware of the name the other group went by and/or were given when they chose what to call themselves.<br/>
(4) others assumed the two races were either the same or similar enough to have a single collective term to refer to them, (a) and they have adopted that term over time, (b) but they have different names for themselves because they are or feel different.<br/>
</p><p><strong>Rule 5:</strong>Naming subraces can be a thing, but does not have to be. For example, one group may call all elves elves, while a different group may refer to blood elves and wood elves separately while understanding implicitly that they are all elves.</p><p><strong>Rule 6:</strong>There are two Calendars of the world (the ways in which time is counted): The Standard Calendar, and the Dark Reckoning. When referring to the Standard Calendar, dates are given as a year followed by the era (e.g. 1242 F.E.). Dates given in the Dark Reckoning are given as a year, followed by the era, followed by a demarcation that this is Dark Reckoning (e.g. 123 S.E. DR). The timeline of history for each calendar is as follows:</p>
<p></p><blockquote><p>The Standard Calendar:</p>
<ul>
<li>Pre Eras (P.E.), counted in reverse with 1 P.E. being the year preceding 1 F.E. because Historians are unclear how long P.E. actually is. P.E. is often considered “the time before time” and is sometimes referred to as “the Era of the Gods.”
</li>
<li>First Era (F.E). 1 F.E. marks the year in which the first Peoples (general term for inhabitants of the worlds) awoke. At this time, only the Poscom System had Peoples. 5953 F.E. marks the end of the First Era when the great destruction that began with the Great Catastrophe in 5503 F.E. ended and left the world reshaped.
</li>
<li>Second Era (S.E.) 1 S.E. marks the founding of the Empire which united the scattered Peoples who survived the destruction. 1246 S.E. marks the end of the Second Era and the slaying of the Great Evil at the hands of Percival Oreol. The three months prior to the slaying of the Great Evil once again saw a great reshaping of the worlds.
</li>
<li>Third Era (T.E.) 1 T.E. marks the beginning of an era of Chaos. The scars left behind by the Great Evil were not quick to heal - in the hearts of the Peoples or in the hearts of the worlds themselves. By 413 T.E. the worlds had come to the brink of collapsing, and the worlds were once again reshaped (this coincides with the Guardians sacrificing themselves to save the worlds; however, this is not widely known).
</li>
<li>Fourth Era (Fo.E.) 1 Fo.E. marked the beginning of a great expansion as the Peoples sought out new places to live following the near-destruction of the world. It was an age of exploration, and, in this Era, the second and third solar systems were discovered and inhabited. 1728 Fo.E. marked the end of expansion when scholars discovered that, beyond the three solar systems was nothingness in which the Peoples could not survive - this nothingness is actually the Great Vastness and is inhabited by ethereal/divine beings, the Guardians, and the souls of the dead in various areas where they have been judged to belong by the Voice; however, the Peoples do not know this.
</li>
<li>Fifth Era (Fi.E.) 1 Fi.E. is the only year in which an Era began in which a great change in the state of the worlds themselves did not occur. In 825 Fi.E., the Darkness came and began reshaping the worlds once again. 830 Fi.E. marks the defeat of the Darkness.  
</li>
<li>Sixth Era (Si.E.) 1. Si.E. marks the beginning of the current era - an era of relative peace (at least so far) after the vanquishing of the Darkness.</li>
</ul></blockquote><blockquote><p>The Dark Reckoning (DR):</p>
<ul>
<li>Pre Eras (P.E.), counted in reverse with 1 P.E. DR being the year preceding 1 F.E. DR because Historians are unclear how long P.E. DR actually is. P.E. DR is often considered “the time before time” and is sometimes referred to as “the Era of the Gods.”
</li>
<li>First Era (F.E). 1 F.E. DR marks the year in which the first Peoples (general term for inhabitants of the worlds) awoke. At this time, only the Poscom System had Peoples. 5502 F.E. DR marks the year before the Great Catastrophe.
</li>
<li>Second Era (S.E.) also termed the “Dark Era.” 1. S.E. DR marks the Great Catastrophe which begins the Great Destruction which lasted until 451 S.E. DR and drastically reshaped the worlds.
</li>
<li>Third Era (T.E.) 1 T.E. DR marks the founding of the Empire which united the scattered Peoples who survived the destruction. 1246 T.E. DR marks the end of the Third Era and the slaying of the Great Evil at the hands of Percival Oreol. The three months prior to the slaying of the Great Evil once again saw a great reshaping of the worlds and was only just barely not made an era in Dark Reckoning because it was not a full year.
</li>
<li>Fourth Era (Fo.E.) 1 Fo.E. DR marks the beginning of an era of Chaos. The scars left behind by the Great Evil were not quick to heal - in the hearts of the Peoples or in the hearts of the worlds themselves. By 413 Fo.E. DR, the worlds had come to the brink of collapsing, and the worlds were once again reshaped (this coincides with the Guardians sacrificing themselves to save the worlds; however, this is not widely known).
</li>
<li>Fifth Era (Fi.E.) 1 Fi.E. DR marked the beginning of a great expansion as the Peoples sought out new places to live following the near-destruction of the world. It was an age of exploration, and, in this Era, the second and third solar systems were discovered and inhabited. 1728 Fi.E. DR marked the end of expansion when scholars discovered that, beyond the three solar systems was nothingness in which the Peoples could not survive - this nothingness is actually the Great Vastness and is inhabited by ethereal/divine beings, the Guardians, and the souls of the dead in various areas where they have been judged to belong by the Voice; however, the Peoples do not know this.
</li>
<li>Sixth Era (Si.E.) 1 Si.E. DR is the only year in which an Era began in which a great change in the state of the worlds themselves did not occur. 824 SI.E. DR ends Si.E. DR as the last year before the coming of the Darkness.
</li>
<li>Seventh Era (Se.E) 1 Se.E. DR marks the coming of the Darkness. 6 Se.E. DR marks the defeat of the Darkness. This is the shortest recorded era in any calendar. 
</li>
<li>Eighth Era (E.E.) 1. E.E. DR marks the beginning of the current era - an era of relative peace (at least so far) after the vanquishing of the Darkness.</li>
</ul></blockquote><p> </p>
<h4>The Great Vastness, 1 Pre Eras (P.E.)</h4><p><br/>
“In the coming time, I will make the worlds and all that inhabit them, and they will need Guardians to protect them and help them grow.” the Voice echoes in their minds. “You, my dear dragons, will be the Guardians.”</p><p> </p>
<h4>House of Guardians, The Great Vastness, 27 Sixth Era (Si.E.)</h4><p><br/>
The First Era lasted 5,953 years, but the dragons’ souls had existed as part of the Great Vastness since 173 Pre Eras (P.E.). In 1P.E., the Voice coalesced their souls, giving them material bodies and naming them Guardians, ones who would look after the worlds. The Voice also created the House of Guardians in the Great Vastness for Guardians to rest in when they were not in the worlds and for young dragons to grow in before becoming Guardians.</p><p>Born and given the name Malug by his parents in 1244 Second Era (S.E.), he had yet to leave the House of Guardians when the Second Era ended in 1246 S.E. three months after the seal the human mage Asmoden Oreol had used to seal the Great Evil in his daughter Rune Oreol broke. It had been her brother, Percival Oreol, who vanquished the Great Evil with the aid of Amma Hleah - a Guardian with an affinity for healing. Thus began the Third Era (T.E.)</p><p>Malug first ventured into the worlds in 98 T.E. at one hundred years of age, and he witnessed the unstable state the three-month release of the Great Evil had wrought. As chaos enveloped the Third Era, the Guardians began spending more time away from the House of Guardians as they did their part to try and save the worlds the Voice had called upon them to protect. Malug, still a young dragon, was forbidden from leaving the safety of the House of Guardians by 282 T.E. In 413 T.E., the worlds began collapsing, and the Guardians used all their power to save them, ultimately sacrificing their own lives as the Third Era ended.</p><p>On the first day of the Fourth Era (Fo.E.), the Voice named him Malug Ullu Rusur, the Last Guardian.</p><p>Malug Ullu Rusur watched over the worlds as they restructured during the Fourth Era. By 1728 Fo.E. when the era came to an uneasy yet hopeful end, he had found three inhabitants of the worlds to bless in preparation for the darkness the Voice warned him was coming. The first of these three was Trei Eknal, a fae who had shown great resistance to the Great Evil during the Second Era. In 1683 Fo.E., Malug Ullu Rusur blessed Trei with the ability to manifest this resistance as a protective barrier and gave Trei a piece of his dragon soul that granted Trei an affinity with ullu, water. </p><p>The second of the three was a young elf named Rhîwgwaewen who at the tender age of 98 had lost her sight and nearly frozen to death after giving her only cloak to a human woman trying to protect her child from the cold. In 1712 Fo.E., having sensed the depth of her heart, Malug Ullu Rusur blessed Rhîwgwaewen the ability to use the depth of her heart to strengthen and shape her magic and gave her a piece of his dragon soul which granted her resistance to cold and a great affinity with frost and other forms of ice, the coldest form of ullu. </p><p>Finally, in 1728 Fo.E., Malug Ullu Rusur found the last of the three, Mana, a human child born at the changing of the eras. He had felt the curiosity and kindness in her soul and knew this infant had great potential. So it was that on the last day of the Fourth Era, Malug Ullu Usur blessed Mana with a large pool of magical energy and gave her a piece of his dragon soul which would extend her life beyond that of an ordinary human and strengthen her affinity to rusur, fire.</p><p>During the Fifth Era (Fi.E.) Malug Ullu Rusur had watched over these three beings who he personally considered the Guardian Disciples (though he had kept his blessings secret, so the inhabitants of the world had no knowledge of the blessings). He occasionally intervened in small ways to nudge the Guardian Disciples closer to finding each other so they would unite before they were needed. When the darkness came in 825 Fi.E., the Guardian Disciples began the fight against it, and in 830 Fi.E., they vanquished the darkness, ushering in the next era.</p><p>The Sixth Era (Si.E.) had begun with peace and joy, allowing Malug Ullu Rusur to remain in the House of Guardians and rest for a time. Now, however, as he reached his three-thousandth year, in 27 Si.E., it was once again time for Malug Ullu Rusur to take up the mantle of Guardian and begin searching the worlds for new Guardian Disciples.</p><p> </p>
<h4>Oreol Manor, Aidil Men, Humali Kingdom, 1244 S.E.</h4><p>“What did you just say?” Rune guffawed. </p><p>She and Percival were sitting, huddled together in the space behind the stairwell that led up to the Grand Library which had been their secret base since they were little. Of course, they fit better in their younger years. Now, they had to sit with their legs bent, backs against opposite ends of the space, and heads ducked a little to avoid hitting the stairs - and even then their knees hit together. Still, this was the one place in the entirety of Oreol Manor that no one - not guests, not servants, and not their mother - would be able to find them. And - as they were still hiding from the coming of age ceremony - they really didn’t want to be found.</p><p>“I said, why don’t we go to Vintelium and look for the Lost Notes?” Percival repeated himself.</p><p>Rune shook her head in disbelief. “You want to leave the kingdom to visit the nation which is most hostile to us and search the entire territory for the notes of a scholar who disappeared more than a millenia ago.”</p><p>“Nothing else is working.” Percival looked her in the eyes. “You’re of age now, so Mother can’t argue - and you can act as my guardian to get past the border.”</p><p>Rune rubbed her temples and sighed. To be honest, she had thought of the same hair-brained scheme as her brother. It was true they would have better luck finding new leads outside the kingdom, and the Lost Notes - if they could be found - were their best hope. Still…</p><p>“What about Mother?”</p><p>“What about her?” Percival cocked his head. “I just said, she can’t protest.”</p><p>Rune shook her head. “We’d be leaving her alone.” </p><p>Percival gave a heavy sigh. “Yes.” His tone was sullen. “But we would have to do that eventually anyway.”</p><p> </p>
<h4>Spiritheum Dunes, Vintelium, 1244 S.E.</h4><p>A vast sea of sand stretched out as far as the eye could see, spotted here and there by mountainous dunes. It hadn’t rained here since 5503 F.E. when the once lush forest of Girinel was wiped out in the Great Catastrophe along with all life that had been there.</p><p>No one knows what caused it, but the Great Catastrophe had been the beginning of a great wave of destruction which reshaped the world and ended as suddenly as it began 450 years later, ushering in the Second Era when the Empire formed to unite the scattered and struggling peoples of the world who yet remained. Some historians still argued that the period from 5503 F.E. to 5953 F.E. should stand alone and be called “the Dark Era,” calling it “a time that seemed to so many to be outside of time - and certainly a time which sharply contrasts the years before and following it - as to warrant separation from the rest of history.” However, other scholars claimed it was “the violent end of the beginning” and “the first great reshaping” - the second being the fall of the empire - and that the reshaping marks, not its own era, but the end of the era it belongs to. The latter theory had won out in the making of the calendars - except in certain regions which use “Dark Reckoning.”</p><p>Nothing lived in the Spiritheum Dunes. Nothing, that is, except the occasional wandering spirit which had yet to pass on, for such spirits need no sustenance. And yet, deep in the center of this dessert, a particularly tall dune of sand began to quiver at its base. If anyone had walked by, they might have described the dune as molting - but of course no one was there to see.</p><p>After a moment, a pale hand popped out of the sand, followed by another, and then the entire body of a youthful looking man tall in stature, lithe in form. His glimmering golden eyes and ever so slightly pointed ears suggested he was not human; however, what he was… that was hard to say. Most would probably assume he was an elf.</p><p>Aman stretched, shaking the sand off of his body and looking about. He was unsure how long he had slept, but he knew it had been for a very long time.</p><p>He sighed and began walking.</p><p>At length, he came across one of the spirits wandering the dunes.</p><p>“Hello, lost one,” he spoke softly to it with a sadness in his voice, “can you tell me what has happened since I slept?”</p><p>What the spirit said in reply, it is hard to say. Aman nodded at the spirit after a while and thanked it as if he had learned all he needed to, but anyone else would have sworn that the spirit never made a sound.</p><p>“Then,” Aman questioned after listening to the spirit for a while longer, “do you know why I have awoken?”</p><p> </p>
<h4>The Clawed Healer, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fourth Era (Fo.E.)</h4><p>“What kind of healer are you?!” The man screamed as he ran out of the Clawed Healer, blood streaming from his fresh wounds.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Comments when reviewing the day three rules:<br/>When it was her turn to read, L: was eating, so instead of words, she said “Mmm mm Mm” or something like that.<br/>In response C: “I’m not sure how to make a comment about that.”<br/>S: “Same.”</p><p>About the first 3 rules for December third: L: “By the way, these rules are completely arbitrary because they were never used.”<br/>“Oh wait, there was maybe one circumstance for Rule 1.”</p><p>L: “It’s my own fault for those first three. I have you two to blame for the rest.” S: “Point of order: You have C: to blame for the rest.”</p><p>L: Refers to rule 4: “Rule 4 abridged” - Cue laughter.</p><p>S: "Rule 4 is actually really important." C: and L: “Very”</p><p>Comments when reviewing day three:<br/>“I completely forgot about the exact effects of the affinities when I wrote their battle later. Oh well, it’s like a four-line battle anyway.”</p><p>“Scratches head for a moment and thinks… ‘did I have the Lost Notes factor in in the end?... Nope, don’t think I did.’”</p><p>C: I don't know if that’s true anymore… Oh well.<br/>L: May I just take a moment to note, you are the one who set that up, and you are also the one who may have failed to account for it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. 4 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rules 7 and 8. Not as long, but a loophole was found and exploited today.</p>
<p>Day four total: 1,365 words<br/>Four-day total: 6,007 words</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments while writing this fic:<br/>S: I'm not done with today yet... but don't hate me.<br/>C: /looks at me with suspicion/ what did you do?<br/>S: /sing-songy/ I'm not tel-ling!<br/>C: Mmhmmmm. Well, if it's really bad I'll just have to take revenge, so it's no problem.<br/>S: Okay.<br/>C: /crying laughing emoji/ Not sure if that's the proper response<br/>S: My actual response gives spoilers therefore I cannot give it<br/>C: /quirked eyebrow/ Oh? ... you could have just sent a redacted response /winks/<br/>S: Nope</p>
<p>C: It's funny that your entire response to "I'll take revenge" is "okay"<br/>S: I felt it was an appropriate response due to past events<br/>C: Very true</p>
<p>C: Should we make a comment somewhere on the doc that lists which characters have officially appeared in which eras? (Using standard calendar) I know I'm having trouble keeping track at this point<br/>L: We could just start a separate timeline doc or section<br/>C: Hmmmm<br/>L: It would probably be useful<br/>S: I made one I can carry ... I put it in my kindle case<br/>C: Huh?You mean like a written list? Right?<br/>S: Yes. A written list on /GASP/ paper<br/>L: I hand wrote most of my section first and made a mini timeline of dates so I could see it<br/>C: Hahaha yeah that's good too. I had only thought of an electronic one so we can update it for each other as we add things.<br/>L: It needs to be cleaned up though<br/>S: /internally/ They haven't seen what I've written yet... /evil laughter/</p>
<p>L: Technically there is no length restriction on turns. So technically someone could highjack the story for the entire time. But that's not the point of a round robin.<br/>S: I never even thought of that. /internally/ This is why I call you guys Huffleins</p>
<p>C: /to mother/ I will just have to enact vengeance<br/>S: Well, L gave me a really good idea /laughter/<br/>L: /horrified look/<br/>S: /evil laughter/<br/>L: Don't you dare. You better not.</p>
<p>S: I have no idea where I got Poscom from<br/>L: Huh?<br/>S: /explains Poscom is place in story/<br/>L: oh, yeah. At first I thought it was cosmos, but then I knew it wasn't<br/>S: No, it was from me. It definitely wasn't cosmos. NS<br/>(Continued from previous comment) S: I don't know where I got Poscom from, but it most certainly wasn't cosmos /debates what location she wrote Poscom at/ I kept coming back to the location header to write it<br/>L: That is an interesting tradition that we have started this month.</p>
<p>To S: "All the evil laughter will get you vengeance. Even if I don't care about what you did."<br/>S: You'll care. You'll definitely care.</p>
<p>"Confound it, Calenlas! Now I have k-sound adjectives stuck in my brain. Cacophonies are running through my head!"</p>
<p>"candid k-sound adjectives. You forgot candid."</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 7:</strong>The planets known as Tierra, Dootenya, and Qwayla exist in the Poscom System.</p>
<p><strong>Rule 8:</strong>In all the planets and landmasses that exist in this world, there is a planet that does not still follow the two calendars of the world. This means that there are three Calendars of the world: Standard, Dark Reckoning, and Separatist. The timeline for the Separatist Calender is as follows: </p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>The Separatist Calendar:</p>
  <ul>
<li>In the Standard year 5505 F.E. (DR year 3 S.E.), the planet known as Qwayla isolated themselves from the other worlds. 
</li>
<li>Qwayla announced their official isolation policies in the Standard year 5506 F.E. (DR year 4 S.E.) with the massacre of all the Peoples on the ship Dhaoinesa Orsa.
</li>
<li>The other worlds began calling Qwayla, Neacha Irleth, or Separate People.
</li>
<li>Qwayla kept the numbering from the Standard Calender of the F.E. They call their current time from the F.E. the Era of Now (E.N.).
</li>
<li>Era changes in the Standard and DR Calendars translated into E.N. (This is solely for clarification purposes):<blockquote>*Standard and DR P.E. is known as Era of Before (E.B.)
*5503 E.N. is DR 1 S.E.
*5954 E.N. is DR 1 T.E.
*5954 E.N. is Standard 1 S.E.
*7200 E.N. is DR 1 Fo.E.
*7200 E.N is Standard 1 T.E.	
*7612 E.N. is DR 1 Fi.E.
*7612 E.N. is Standard 1 Fo.E.
*9341 E.N. is DR 1 Si.E.
*9341 E.N. is Standard 1 Fi.E.
*10165 E.N. is DR 1 Se.E.
*10171 E.N. is DR 1 E.E.
*10171 E.N. is Standard 1 Si.E.</blockquote>
</li>
</ul>
</blockquote><p> </p><h4>Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, Poscom System, 10,140 E.N.</h4><p>The third planet in the Poscom System was named Qwayla by the Peoples who first settled there. They were leaving the overreach of the government on the First Planet, Tierra. Qwayla was named after the being who funded this exodus from Tierra, Qwin Aylana. </p>
<p>Qwayla was a beautiful planet. It had four landmassess of substantial size and worth. The four landmasses had all sorts of lovely terrains and climates. </p>
<p>A few years after Qwayla was settled, the Qways discovered the elements Silicon and Lithium in high quantities on the largest landmass which the Qways called Gian. These elements were in high demand by Tierra due to the large amounts of technology that existed on that world. (Tierra was a world with little mana.)</p>
<p>It took a few more years after the discovery of Silicon and Lithium for some enterprising Qways to discover that Isatemukeh, the smallest landmass, had the best soil for food and fiber crops. </p>
<p>Aylana brought the equipment to mine and farm effectively piece by piece, hiding how prosperous she knew her new colony planet would be. Aylana lived on Tierra for nearly two decades after Qwayla was settled, making frequent trips to her planet for supply runs. A year after Aylana permanently settled to her planet, she struck ruthlessly lucrative trading deals with the other two populated planets in the Poscom System: Tierra and Dootenya. These deals rapidly made Qwayla a very wealthy planet. People were trying to leave Tierra and Dootenya to make their fortunes on Qwayla. Qwayla denied more than 90 percent of Peoples trying to settle on Qwayla outside of the original settlement deal. </p>
<p>Any Peoples of the Poscom System could visit Qwayla for a short period of time (no longer than a Standard month), but they could not move there permanently.  </p>
<p>The visiting areas of Qwayla were the beaches of Cheyenne, the second largest landmass, and the mountains of Macaonit. Cheyenne also boasted the capital city of Qwayla, Ratrid, where visiting dignitaries would dine with Aylana or another elected being into the ruling Council of Nine. </p>
<p>Aylana had a lot of power on the planet due to all the wonderful things she had done for Qwayla and the Qways. She had brought them there and helped establish a wonderful lifestyle of freedom and joy. </p>
<p>One of her secrets, however, was that Aylana had children on Tierra. She had married young and to money. Her husband died, left her with three children and his fortune. She funneled most of his fortune into Qwayla and divided the remaining eighth between the three. It was less money than the three wanted and the eldest and youngest demanded shares in Qwayla. Aylana told them the truth, Qwayla has no shares. She had provided the money with no demands upon it. Her eldest and youngest were furious and tried to sue her. The lawsuit failed in the courts on Tierra. They had tried to emigrate to Qwayla and take control of one of the mines, but they were barred from landing on the planet. </p>
<p>The middle child was calm, canny, calculating, and thanks to his siblings, condemned to living his life away from his beloved mother. The Council of Nine had banned all of Aylana’s biological children from the planet. The Nine knew what his siblings did and tarred him with the same brush. The Nine was protective of their benefactor. Almost too protective. </p>
<p>Frank was told all of this by his male DNA donor. He had no idea why this man found him or why he was telling him all about the history of the planet he grew up on. All of this information was basic history that children learned in their first four years of school.</p>
<p>“Francis-”</p>
<p>“YOU do not get to call me Francis!” Frank growled, aggressively stepping toward the other man, veins bulging from his hands, clenched at his side. </p>
<p>The other man sighed. “Frank, then. I am the bearer of bad news. The second son that I was talking about? He sent his children to be raised on Qwayla by his mother and his wife. The Nine didn’t care about his children, but Aylana’s other two children? They and their descendents are banned from ever living on the grounded landmasses of Qwayla. The Nine haven’t extended this ban to the constructed moon of Qwayla, but The Nine hasn’t looked at Aylana’s descendents for years.”</p>
<p>“What does this have to do with me?” Frank’s tone was both resigned and aggressive. </p>
<p>“I’m the many great-grandson of Aylana...from her daughter.”</p>
<p>“So, because of you, someone I have only seen pictures of before this day, I am not allowed to live in the apartment I rent, be a citizen of the town, landmass, and planet I live on?”</p>
<p>“Umm…”</p>
<p>“Yes or no.”</p>
<p>As Frank walked out of the room, he rubbed his bloody knuckles and thought over the dire tone that the yes was said in.</p>
<p>Frank lived on Cheyenne. It, before the Separation, became famous for its beautiful beaches. The beaches, ten millennia later, were still beautiful and pristine. Frank wasn’t alive during the two great reshapings. The first transformed the once beautiful beaches into deserts and the second changed these deserts back into beaches, but not as pristine as before. </p>
<p>Frank walked over to his beach thinking spot and contemplated what this new knowledge could mean to him. He grew up on stories of how wholesome and benevolent The Nine are. This story about Aylana’s descendants sounded off somehow. </p>
<p> </p><h4>Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, Poscom System, 10,140 E.N.</h4><p>‘Ratrid was the worst city on Cheyenne to act in,’ Inani Truella thought. They were lucky that they had discovered their talent at such a young age, but they were also annoyed with having to deal with the restrictions placed by The Nine. </p>
<p>Actors and plays were not allowed to dramatize the heartbreak of Qwin Aylana. They were not allowed to mention the other planets in the Poscom System. They were not allowed to mention the reason for the Separation. This restriction had been laid down in 10,136 E.N. thanks to a rather poor playwright that somehow was able to get that horribly written piece of garbage produced for a Ratrid stage. The playwright was banished from Qwayla and his citizenship revoked because of this play. </p>
<p>Inani was the greatest actor of their time, but even they knew that criticising The Nine and the handling of Aylana’s Qway estate was not the way to have an enduring career. Admittedly, Inani wanted desperately to leave Qwayla to act. They wanted to know if they truly were the greatest actor of their time or only the greatest actor on Qwayla. </p>
<p> </p><h4>Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, Poscom System, early 5503 E.N.</h4><p>The Nine were terrified. Something was happening to their trade vessels to Tierra and Dootenya. The citizens that left came back changed. They were angrier and more destructive. They drank more. They became less productive members of society. When these citizens were arrested, they became outraged, like they had forgotten the laws that applied to them as citizens.</p>
<p>But then they noticed it wasn’t just the Qways that they were noticing this behavior from; it was also the visitors. Dignitaries wanted to completely renegotiate contracts that had been negotiated less than two months prior and were not due for renegotiation for another ten months. Non-dignitary visitors were destroying the Mountains in Macaonit with their excursions off of the designated hiking paths and camping in restricted areas. Someone almost burned the forest of Qwa trees. Qwa trees were trees native to the mountainous regions of Macaonit and they supplied the majority of the breathable air to the atmosphere of Qwayla. </p>
<p>Losing one standard acre of Qwa trees would devastate the atmosphere around Qwayla for at least 100 years, the time it would take for newly planted Qwa trees to produce the needed breathable air for a child. Qwa trees were incredibly slow-growing and although Qwa trees are renowned throughout the Poscom System for being the best to build things with, they are also a very particular tree to grow even on Qwayla.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>“And what was that?”<br/>“I told you it was a mix-match of four different languages.”<br/>“No, I want to know exactly what that was.”<br/>“I don’t remember anymore.” pause “I think I used Bengali”</p>
<p>“And yes, I literally just decided how to pronounce that word right before I said it.” /uncontrollable laughter/</p>
<p>“Qwayla: the original creators of immigration laws.”</p>
<p>“We discussed this.”</p>
<p>“Ironically, this just gave us the knowledge that the Qways know about DNA. We don’t know if anyone else knows about DNA, but we know that the Qways do.”</p>
<p>“The last thing we heard about Tierra was that at some point they had newspapers.”<br/>“No, that’s Dootenya.”<br/>“Oh, right.”</p>
<p>C: “They went from sand to sand to sand.”<br/>S: “Hey, there’s rocky beaches too.”<br/>C: and L: “They went from sand to sand to sand.”</p>
<p>“It’s at the top. Hang on; I’ll be right back.” /scrolls/</p>
<p>“Qwayla: the creators of censorship.”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. 5 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rules 9-11!</p>
<p>Day five total: 673 words<br/>Five-Day total:6,680 words</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rule 9: There are ONLY three Calendars to track time in this universe.</p>
<p>Rule 10: The universe reshaping did reshape Qwayla, but it did not drastically reshape Qwayla.</p><ul>
<li>Qwa Trees still exist
</li>
<li>There are still four landmasses connected to Qwayla
</li>
<li>There are still a variety of climates and terrains on the Qway landmasses</li>
</ul>
<p>Rule 11: Alternate Universes/Dimensions exist, but Qwayla is not from an alternate dimension or alternate universe.</p>
<p> </p><h4>Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, Poscom System, late 5503 E.N.</h4><p>The Nine were very unhappy to discover that their wishes for change to not come to Qwayla were inaccurate. There had been a Great Catastrophe. The ramifications of that catastrophe reverberated throughout the rest of the universe. Many were dead, Dootenya had lost the forest of Girinel, and the Poscom System had one less planet in it. All of this happened in less than a year. </p>
<p>These catastrophic reverberations led to riots and violence throughout the rest of the system. Qwayla was no exception. The major point that The Nine had noticed was that the violence and riots on Qwayla were predominantly begun by non-Qways. This was a continuation of the behavior The Nine saw in the beginning of the year 5503 E.N. </p>
<p>They began to discuss in private sessions what they should do about this crisis. They debated for a year and reached a conclusion. They would close Qwayla to outsiders permanently.</p><h4>Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, Poscom System, 5505 E.N.</h4><p><span class="u">A Memorandum to the Council of Nine:</span><br/>
Date: Day 7 of Qon of Year 5505</p>
<p>All non-citizens have finished their visits in Macaonit. They are traveling to their planets of origin. </p>
<p>There are two groups of non-citizens on their visits to Cheyenne. One group is visiting the Southern Beaches and the other group is visiting Lake Qwi. Both groups will leave in one week. </p>
<p>The groups on Cheyenne are the last group of non-citizens visiting. </p>
<p><span class="u">A Memorandum to the Council of Nine:</span><br/>
Date: Day 15 of Tol of Year 5505</p>
<p>The plan for an artificial landmass to be in orbit is well underway.   </p>
<p>Building is anticipated to begin shortly and to be completed by Yal of 5506.</p>
<p>The artificial landmass will be habitable for willing Qway citizens to move permanently by Twil of 5506.</p><h4>
<em>Dhaoinesa Orsa</em>, Outside Orbit of Qwayla, Poscom System, 5506 E.N. </h4><p>The captain was running low on supplies. The nearest planet was Qwayla. He hailed the planet requesting permission to land and resupply. It wasn’t an emergency resupply but traveling on the ship would be uncomfortable by week three due to rationing. </p>
<p>There was no response from Qwayla. </p>
<p>He hailed them again. “This is the captain of the <em>Dhaoinesa Orsa</em>. I am requesting to land and resupply my ship.”</p>
<p>“Dhaoinesa Orsa, please cease and desist. You are not welcome. Leave.”</p>
<p>The captain was stunned. He had been making this run for three decades now and Qwayla had never turned him away before. He shivered.</p>
<p>“Dhaoinesa Orsa, if you do not remove yourself from Qway orbit, you will be forcibly removed from Qway orbit. Comply.”</p>
<p>The captain was in shock. ‘What happened to Qwayla?’ he thought.</p>
<p>A few moments later, he knew no more.</p><h4>Tierra, Poscom System, 5506 F.E.</h4><p>“In news today, the ship traveling to the planet Marvané, the <em>Dhaoinesa Orsa</em>, was discovered in pieces just outside of the orbit of the planet Qwayla. Officials in the Ministry of Travel were unable to get a hold of any Qway representative at this time. This news station also discovered that Qway representatives could not be reached for comment.”</p><h4>Dootenya, Poscom System, 5506 F.E.</h4><p>A newspaper headline: “Qwayla closed for good: <em>Dhaoinesa Orsa</em> destroyed by new Qway defense system”</p><h4>Qwayla, Poscom System, 5606 E.N.</h4><p>Excerpts from a Qway textbook on time: “Qwayla defines two different eras in time: the Era of Before and the Era of Now. The Era of Before is abbreviated with the letters E.B. and the Era of Now is shortened to E.N.” </p>
<p>“Qwayla separates its year into 10 segments called months. These months are called Qon, Yal, Ana, Qot, Tol, Niw, Nal, Wit, Nine, and Twil. Tol is the shortest month; it only has 21 days.”  </p>
<p>An excerpt from a Qway history book: “The Separation began in Qon, 5505 E.N. The Separation happened due to poor behavior on the part of Visitors to Qwayla over the span of many years. These Visitors were teaching against the Qway way of life.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>S: “And this is when I close the loophole.”<br/>C: “You will note that we destroyed Qwayla without destroying Qwayla. We were very careful not to violate this rule.”<br/>S: “True. I helped. Honestly I think I made it so much darker than what you guys were hoping for.”<br/>L: “Oh, no, that’s pretty much what we were going for.”</p>
<p>L: I love that you only specified Qwayla<br/>S: Well, yeah. Qwayla was my baby. That I later destroyed, but still my baby.<br/>L: Right, which we subsequently destroyed as revenge for adding a third calendar.</p>
<p>C: “I’m not getting that in comments because I missed that comment while typing another comment.”</p>
<p>C: “Now I get why that was funny” - said while reading the comments that S: and L: transcribed that C: missed hearing</p>
<p>Story Comments:</p>
<p>“Oh my god! Change happens!” /said with fake horror/</p>
<p>“Qwayla: the original isolationists.”</p>
<p>“Hey y’all!” S glares at reader.</p>
<p>“Qways be badass”<br/>“Or just bad.”</p>
<p>“So much for not liking the violent outbursts.”</p>
<p>“History is written by the victor.”<br/>“I wanted to show off the obvious propaganda that was.”<br/>“The Council of Nine were the victors.”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. 6 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rules 12-19</p><p>Just as a heads up: any time you see the word Rhîwgwaewen it can be replaced with Winter. This comes up later in endnotes.</p><p>Day six total: 573 words<br/>Six-day total: 7,253 words</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rule 12: In T.E., there were ruins in many of the worlds left behind from the destruction during the release of the Great Evil.<br/>
Rule 13: In T.E., dark beings were present in many places, born from the release of the Great Evil, and they became more prolific as the era continued. However, after the Guardians’ sacrifice at the end of T.E., most of these dark beings disappeared.<br/>
Rule 14: Teleportation magic exits and takes different forms. However, some areas of the worlds interrupt teleportation magic, making it difficult or impossible to reach that location via teleportation.</p>
<ul>
<li>The Spiritheum Dunes in Vintelium cannot be teleported into or out of.
</li>
<li>Qwayla and its associated landmasses cannot be teleported into or out of.
</li>
<li>Oreol Manor in Aidil Men in the Humali Kingdom cannot be teleported into </li>
</ul><p>Rule 15: Guardians can use a form of instant travel that is like teleportation magic but that does not have the same restrictions placed upon it.<br/>
Rule 16: No Peoples from this universe have yet accessed any Alternate Universes/Dimensions, nor have they tried (as of 27 Si.E.), and no interdimensional travelers have made themselves known. (‘Interdimensional travelers’ here refers to both people from other universes and from other dimensions.)<br/>
Rule 17: The Voice is the entity who created the primary universe (meaning the universe in which the Guardians exist since it is the first universe we have written in. This is not to say that the primary universe was the first [though it could be], nor is it necessarily hierarchically above others). The Voice existed in the Great Vastness before anything else and created the three solar systems. The Voice also created the Guardians in the Great Vastness. In addition to the Guardians, the Voice created several entities which could be considered deities. These entities were each gifted a portion of the three solar systems to ‘manage’ (sort of like landlords). The powers of each entity differ; however, none have the ability to create Peoples.<br/>
Rule 18: The same force of darkness was involved in the Great Catastrophe, the Great Evil, and the coming of the Darkness. All three incidents began in Dootenya and then spread to the rest of the worlds.<br/>
Rule 19: During the period of Darkness from 825 Fi.E.-8:30 Fi.E. (10,165 E.N.-10170 E.N.), Qwayla suffered a plague that wiped out the majority of lifeforms on the planet and its associated landmasses.</p>
<h4>Ruins of Whispvale, near Corrupted Spiritheum Dunes, Old Vintelium, 54 T.E.</h4><p>Jes ran as fast as they possibly could without dropping the artifacts they’d managed to salvage from the Whispvale Ruins. The shadow creatures were chasing them, and they didn’t want to end up like the corpses of the looters they had spotted. It wasn’t pretty.</p><p>At any rate, Jes felt proud to have managed to infiltrate the ruins known for having the highest concentration of shadow creatures and even managing to recover some relics from the final assault on the Great Evil. These would be perfect for their latest invention.</p><p>***</p>
<h4>Somewhere in the Frozen Hills, Glacia Minu, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</h4><p>Someone was lost in the deep snow of the Frozen Hills. The mountain range was unforgiving even in the warmest and fairest weather, and it was now the dead of winter. Normally, people avoided these mountains, but it had seemed like a calm enough day at the start, and since the Frozen Hills spanned thousands of miles, crossing them was the fastest route to reach Ranade’s capital assuming the harsh range didn’t stop your path cold. </p><p>The blizzard had come with no warning, and an avalanche quickly followed. Digging up through the snow had taken too much energy. Eyes were slowly drifting closed as the cold made everything numb and slowed breaths to a dangerous degree. The winds were still whipping snow through the air violently, ensuring that everything was blanketed in white.</p><p>Just as everything was beginning to grow dark - a strange contrast to the frozen white world - a shape began to appear in the storm. It was vague, almost passable for a phantom born from imagination. Like the rest of the world, the form was entirely white. No, not entirely. There were two blue orbs, glowing vaguely in an eerie sort of way. </p><p>***</p>
<h4>Ice Block, Frozen Hills, Glacia Minu, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</h4><p>It had been about two days since Rhîwgwaewen arrived in Ice Block, a small village nestled quietly inside the Frozen Hills. She hadn’t intended on stopping here, but when she had found someone lost in the blizzard, she couldn’t just walk away. A frozen death was not something she would wish on anyone.</p><p>It had been fortunate that Ice Block was not far from where she’d found the individual. She would have been fine by herself, but she had no way to share her cold resistance, and trying to start a fire out in the elements during that blizzard would have been futile.</p><p>Originally, Rhîwgwaewen had intended to depart immediately after leaving the stranger in the care of the villagers, but the villagers would not hear of her walking back into a blizzard. Instead, they had bundled her in layers upon layers of animal skins and placed her by a warm fire to drive away the cold. It was futile, but they neither knew nor would understand if she tried to explain. She was always cold.</p><p>***</p>
<h4>Mushroom Faerie Circle, Whimwallow Grove, Ranaka Forest, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</h4><p>The elves who lived in Ranaka forest had warned the traveler to avoid Whimwallow Grove, but the traveler did not heed their warning, too interested in rumors of a faerie circle. But wandering into a faerie circle is dangerous, especially in Whimwallow Grove. The traveler would soon find out what happens to those who let the thrill of adventure blind them to reason.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>S: L keeps getting all the long days...is it karma?</p><p>C: “I purposefully left that one with a loophole.” - referring to Dec. 6 Rule 5<br/>S: That I used.</p><p>Regarding Rule 6 L: “Essentially what this boils down to is [insert summary of rule that is half the length of the original rule].”</p><p>Story Comments:</p><p>“I feel bad for Jes. We abandoned them.”<br/>“I forgot about them.”</p><p>We wrote a new rule about December. We finished reviewing this story in February of 2021. Look at series notes.</p><p>C: “Now I feel a little bad about some of the endings I wrote.”<br/>L: “I told you not to do that.”<br/>C: “I was trying to wrap the stories up.”<br/>S: “Well, she can still write her way of them.”</p><p>L: “By the was, C:, in case you missed it [redacted]”<br/>C: “Yeah, I saw it.”</p><p>C: By the way, when I first saw this, I literally thought she was starting this in the middle of a giant ice block.</p><p>“And it begins.”</p><p>Before even reading the last section of Dec. 6, S: glares.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. 7 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rules 20-28-Maxxed out on new rules today!</p><p>Day seven total: 4,741 words<br/>Seven-day total: 12,016 words</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>L: /laughing so hard it hurts/ Please let this be a reference to Cats.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 20</strong>: Most native Qway who survived the plague (of which there are very few) left Qwayla before the plague. Some of them have returned since and begun trying to reestablish their homeland.</p><p><strong>Rule 21</strong>: The entirety of the Council of the Nine perished during the time of the plague in Qwayla, and no new council has been established as of 27 Si.E. (10,197 E.N.).</p><p><strong>Rule 22</strong>: Any accidental mathematical inconsistencies made while trying to correlate dates between the three reckoning systems in prior rules are void. The correct correlation of dates has been clarified and established in the Round Robin Calendars Dec 2020 document and it will be held as the official guide for converting dates.</p><p><strong>Rule 23</strong>: Whether there was much technology before the Great Destruction (end of first era, standard calendar) or not, in the Second Era, Dootenya has medieval-fantasy style technology (e.g. horse drawn carriages, swords, bows, torches). Most things are handwritten as the printing press (or a form of it powered by magic) is a very new invention only really used to produce the newspaper and a few official documents. There is no electricity; however, there are lights that are powered by magic (these are rare in places like the Humali Kingdom which distrust magic). There is a surprisingly good plumbing system, however, and even some more technologically advanced planets have struggled to create sanitation systems as effective as those designed in Dootenya in the Second Era.</p><p><strong>Rule 24</strong>: One of the abilities of the Guardians is to send dreams to people’s minds in order to guide them on the right path. They cannot, however, choose the content of the dreams with any great detail. A Guardian sends a dream with an intent - such as ‘help this person learn of the assassin’s plan’ which might result in many different dreams from a ‘vision-like’ dream that more or less explicitly shows what the Guardian hopes to show (e.g. the assassin talking about or carrying out his plan) to a vague dream heavy with feeling (e.g. the person wakes up with an overwhelming sense that something bad is about to happen to the assassin’s target).</p><p><strong>Rule 25</strong>: Most deities (refer to Dec. 6 Rule 6) are not aware of the Guardians and vice versa. A select few have been granted such knowledge by the Voice.</p>
<ul>
<li>Part of Aman’s ‘gift’ from the Voice was ‘awareness’ which granted him knowledge of the Guardians’ existence and some of their powers. He can also detect the presence of magic and magic-like things (like the Great Evil or the Blessing of a Guardian). As a part of this awareness, he sometimes has minor visions of the future, though these are rare and usually come to him during purposeful communion with the Voice, something which became impossible for him for a long period of time after the Great Catastrophe. </li>
<li>Malug has awareness of other Guardians and their whereabouts at all times (though this is of little use to him after the Great Sacrifice). He is aware of the influence of a deity on another creature and the general effect of that influence, but does not know who all the deities are, nor can he identify which deity’s influence is on a person (though he can often deduce it if he is familiar with the deity whose influence is present).</li>
</ul><p><strong>Rule 26</strong>: Aman was one of the first deities and was once the closest deity to the Voice. However, after Aman made a mistake that led to the Great Catastrophe and subsequent great destruction, his connection to the Voice weakened considerably for a long time. He didn’t know this at the time (and may or may not find out), but this weakened connection was due to his own shame and fear getting in the way (like a mental wall).</p><p><strong>Rule 27</strong>: Amma Hleah (the Guardian who assisted Percival in the slaying of the Great Evil) only ever directly intervened once when Percival would have died without immediate medical attention, and at that time Percival was unconscious. Aman was the only one who saw Amma Hleah, and he promised not to tell anyone of her presence. He has kept his word and has not even written of her involvement in the book he later gave to Mana.</p><p><strong>Rule 28</strong>: There are three interdimensional beings in the Second Solar System as of 58 E.E. DR.</p>
<h4>Humali Kingdom-Vintelium Border, late 1244 S.E.</h4><p>It had taken over half a year for Rune and Percival to reach the eastern edge of the Humali Kingdom. 1244 S.E. was nearing its end as winter set in with full force, and their funds were low. They had purposefully left most of the household money with Mother since, after their father’s passing, the royal family had made the already small pension of an ‘empiric baron’ even smaller. They had already dismissed all the servants except for a few loyal maids and manservants who refused to leave even though they could only be provided with a place to stay and no wages. One manservant had even gotten an additional job and donated a portion of his wages to the Oreol family every month.</p><p>“Here, sister.” Percival wrapped his cloak around Rune’s shoulders as they came closer to the gate that led out of the kingdom. </p><p>Rune pushed the cloak back to her brother. “I’m alright. If you don’t wear it, you’ll freeze.”</p><p>Percival a look that said he didn’t believe she was ‘alright,’ but took the cloak back all the same.</p><p>The border town was small, and Rune doubted there had been visitors in years - what with the threat of war always looming over the area. The moment either Vintelium or the kingdom decided they had had enough, this town would be destroyed. A few people wandered around bundled in heavy furs, much warmer than what Rune and Percival wore, but most were comfortably inside their small houses, likely gathered around warm fires in their hearths. Even the few merchants in the town had their shops closed - which didn’t make much of a difference, Rune supposed, since no one would be out shopping in this weather anyway. If it had been later in the evening when they had reached the town, and if they had more than the paltry six gold and fifty silvers which hung in a pouch at her waist (about half of which would be spent on the border toll), Rune might have suggested getting a room at the inn.</p><p>But that wasn’t the case.</p><p>The sun had just reached its peak in the sky and the days were long in winter, so they had several hours of daylight left, and they could not afford a night’s stay in an inn anyway. So, Rune and Percival made their way toward the stone wall with the gruff and grumpy looking guards - not surprising since they had to stay outside in such cold weather dressed in metal armor.</p><p>“Halt.” The taller - and wider - of the two guards stated in an imperious and bored voice. “If you wish to pass the border, let me see your papers and the toll.” He elbowed his fellow guard who had just fallen asleep where he stood.</p><p>Rune shuffled around under her cloak to fish the identification scrolls and 3 gold she would need for the toll out of her bags. “Rune and Percival Oreol of the Oreol Barony,” she announced, passing them to the first guard.</p><p>While his colleague checked their documentation, the guard who had just woken up eyed Rune and Percival inquisitively. “What brings two young’uns from a Barony on the clear other side o’ the kingdom to the Vintelium border? Seems a right silly place to go.”</p><p>While Rune contemplated how best to answer without indicating that they were in possession of a highly dangerous power and needed to research how to get rid of it, her brother cut in.</p><p>“I made a rather unfortunate bet, and now I have to see it through.” Percival always impressed Rune with his ability to fabricate the truth convincingly. Thankfully, he never did that to her - only to help her. “And since I am a minor, my sister had to accompany me as a guardian.”</p><p>“All good.” The first guard passed the identification papers back and put the gold coins in a chest by his feet. “Open the gate!” He called up to the poor unfortunate souls who had the job of standing on top of the walls in the middle of winter for hours on end in case of the one in a million chance they might have to open the gate.</p><p>As the large wooden doors of the gate creaked open and Rune and Percival hurried through, the second guard called after them. “Best take care. There ain’t another town for a good hundred miles!”</p><p>Rune and Percival exchanged worried glances but kept moving nonetheless. Hopefully between her magic, his swordsmanship and the survival training their father had put them through in case they ever had to flee the Barony they would be able to survive a week or two in the harsh winter wild.</p>
<h4>The Clawed Healer, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fo.E.</h4><p>Adrian was considering closing the shop just long enough to go next door and let Taylor know just how greatly he didn’t appreciate the business their friend sent their way. That unlikeable fellow was lucky to get away with all his limbs attached.</p><p>But right when Adrian was getting up to turn around the ‘open’ sign, a cloaked figure darted in before collapsing at Adrian’s feet. Under the dark cloak, Adrian made out leather armor that had been torn to shreds exposing dusty brown skin that was now stained red with fresh blood that Adrian could tell at a glance was coming from multiple places at once.</p><p>Adrian could scold Taylor later.</p><p>Adrian brought the injured person into his shop, careful not to make the already bad injuries any worse and put them on a cot before scurrying off to a shelf for medicine and bandages to apply in addition to healing magic. Evidenced by the sleek black ears, mane-like hair and tail, and hoofed feet coupled with the otherwise human appearance, this person was half-horse shifter, half-human (well, the second half could have been an elf or something similar-looking, but human was a pretty safe guess). </p><p>You can always tell a half shifter from a shifter because a full-blooded shifter will revert to animal form when heavily injured - unless they’ve contracted HUM-flu or were cursed. Neither seemed to apply in this case. Half-shifters don’t have a complete animal form - they’re stuck in a sort of in-between appearance that has more animal characteristics than the humanoid form of a normal shifter. A full-horse shifter would, for instance, have human-like feet in humanoid form, not the hooves that Adrian’s current patient had.</p><p>Mixed shifters were another matter entirely, and one Adrian really didn’t want to bother thinking about at the moment. The strange mixture of characteristics of a shifter with blood from two different shifter tribes produced some rather interesting results that were rather hard to explain - though their existence did put a lot of ancient mythos in perspective.</p><p>After a moment of assessing the patient’s wounds and discovering an ID plate with the name ‘Jule’ on it, Adrian realized they would need help and darted next door to the smithy.</p><p>“Taylor, get over here. Now.” Adrian called to their friend with all the authority of a healer with a dying patient.</p><p>Taylor appeared from behind their forge, took off the protective gear they had been wearing, and headed toward Adrian with hands raised. “I only wanted to get him out of my shop.” They said defensively.</p><p>“Nevermind that.” Adrian stated, grabbing Taylor’s hand and pulling them to the Clawed Healer as rapidly as possible. “I’ve got a dying half-horse over here and I need your help.” After a moment Adrian added. “And I’ll get you back for the rude guy later.”</p>
<h4>Somewhere in central Vintelium, late 1244 S.E.</h4><p>Aman could feel it coming closer. At first he had thought the spirit must be confused, but now he was certain it was not. He would soon have to face his greatest mistake all over again.</p><p>Strangely, it seemed to be contained as if it had a vessel which was holding it in check. With luck, this meant a great magician had come up with a temporary solution - something that would buy Aman enough time to find a more permanent solution.</p><p>Not for the first time since waking up, and certainly not for the last, Aman sat down under a particularly nice tree at one edge of a clearing in the forest he was currently passing through and tried to stretch his consciousness out to the Voice. He hadn’t heard the Voice speak to him since before his great mistake which nearly destroyed so many lives, but he would not stop trying to call out, though he doubted he was worthy of a reply. The Voice had the answer he needed. He was sure of it.</p><p>He sighed as he felt his consciousness reaching out into an infinite vastness and being bombarded with sensations of all kinds - none of which were the Voice. At length, he could sustain the effort no more and let his consciousness return to his body. He let go a little too suddenly and for a moment all his senses halted and there was nothingness around him. Then, one by one, he began to perceive again.</p><p>The hooting of the winter owls, the crisp, barky scent of the Silv trees, the cold of the deep snow and its weight pressing against his legs, the harsh light of the mid-morning sun cutting through the gap on the canopy that was over the clearing he sat in, and even the sharp, clear taste of the morning chill on his tongue as he breathed in and out.</p><p>A young reindeer darting by caught Aman’s attention. It was quite young, and in its wake the snow had been tinged red. Aman rose quickly and followed the injured deer, keeping his ears open for indicators of pursuit. Whatever had injured the young reindeer was probably still tracking it - and it would have an easy time doing so in such deep snow and with a blood train beyond that.</p><p>Aman breathed in deeply, assessing how much he could hope to accomplish in his current state and determined it was safe to do this much. He turned from his pursuit of the reindeer long enough to stretch out his hands and sing a soft, enchanting melody which had no name and no kith or kin in this world. None but Aman could sing it, for it was his ‘gift.’</p><p>As he sang, his golden eyes seemed to glow and a gentle light of a similar hue trickled out from his fingertips, dancing across the snow and making it look as though the reindeer’s tracks ended suddenly at the clearing.</p><p>Singing as he went, he resumed following the reindeer, and as he did, its tracks vanished so that no one would have ever known they were there. Aman himself left no tracks either, though this was simply part of his nature. He could pass anywhere he wished without leaving a trace unless he desired to do so - and right now he did not.</p>
<h4>Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, Poscom System, 10,148 E.N.</h4><p>It was strange, Inani decided, to attend one’s own funeral.</p><p>No, then again, it was normal to attend one’s own funeral. It was strange to be alive while attending one’s own funeral. But this was the only way Inani could think of to get away from Qwayla. They had found a smuggler who was willing to take them away from Qwayla (or ‘Malke Virethorn’ anyway - that was the fake identity Inani had created for the express purpose of escaping this planet). Then, they had leaked rumors of having an incurable illness and found a doctor sympathetic to the ‘plight of the stars’ who would sign a fake death certificate. They had told the doctor they simply wanted to retire and not be stuck in the limelight. Add on a closed-casket funeral, and the whole affair was settled. </p><p>Except that the smuggler had a delay and had to postpone departure for another day.</p><p>And so here they were, dressed in disguise - a simple thing for an extraordinary actor - attending their own funeral as a ‘die-hard-fan.’ Why? They had nowhere else to go other than the smuggler’s hideout (which was cramped and smelly) since they had - officially - died. Their home was already up for auction, and they weren’t going to risk being caught ‘freeloading’ and being either locked up or discovered.</p><p>“Inani Truella was an unparalleled actor beloved by many, though few could claim to know them personally.” Inani’s manager began their eulogy. “Beautiful enough to play the most enchanting princess, yet handsome enough to play a dashing prince, and mysterious enough to play an insidious villain, there is no role Inani did not play, nor one that would not have suited them.”</p><p>The eulogy went on, heaping praise upon praise upon Inani’s talent, never once mentioning anything about who they were as a person - which was honestly the way Inani preferred it. They lived and breathed the theatre, so in a sense all the characters they played were Inani and Inani was them. </p><p>But, Inani wanted to be more. </p><p>Inani wanted to be the greatest actor of all time, not on the censored and isolated stage of Qwayla, but on the grand stage of the universe where anything was possible.</p><p>‘Soon.’ Inani thought. ‘Soon.’</p>
<h4>Ruins of Oreol Manor, Aidil Men, Humali Republic, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</h4><p>Mana had already lived long enough to see the children she had grown up with grow old and die, and yet she was still living and still - as far as anyone could tell - in her youth. She looked no more than twenty despite being close to a century and a half old which was far longer than any human she knew of. </p><p>She thought for the thousandth time she must have some elf blood in her veins - perhaps from a long distant ancestor forgotten in her family lineage.</p><p>Though that would not explain the dreams. She had had the same dream on and off for the past decade or so, and it was just frustrating enough that she had finally decided to listen to it. In her dream, she always saw herself and two others whose faces were blurred standing back to back as a great dark hand stretched out over Dootenya and grabbed hold of it. Then the Hero Percival of legend appeared cutting down a black silhouette before retreating to the manor he had once called home and placing an ancient-looking tome over a gravestone while tears ran down his cheeks and he muttered ‘I am sorry’ over and over. The tome would open, and a bright golden light shot out of it and pierced through Mana and her two dream companions, but it did not hurt them. Rather, it seemed to give them power with which they then lashed out at the dark hand stretching over Dootenya, causing it to recede.</p><p>What it all meant, Mana was not sure, but she hoped going to the ruins of the Oreol Manor might help her figure it out. So she had traveled to the Humali Republic from her small hometown which was considered a part of no country at all - not because it claimed independence but rather because it was so small and in such an obscure area that no one really bothered to claim it. </p><p>Certainly she wasn’t expecting a grand welcome. For one, no one knew she was coming. For two, even if they did, she was no one special. And, for three, the manor was, after all, now in ruins. The Hero Percival had returned home after slaying the Great Evil to find his mother had passed of illness while he was away. No one is sure what happened to his elder sister who had reportedly left home with him two years prior, but she never returned to the Barony.</p><p>The royal family of the Humali Kingdom - it was still a kingdom then - had offered Percival Oreol an elevated status, but he had declined. He had also refused all rewards except the stipend which he reportedly gave to the servants who had remained by his mother’s side until her passing. He never married and named no heir, so after the Hero Percival’s passing, the Barony fell into true ruin. Of course, by then the Humali Kingdom had begun transitioning into the Humani Republic, so no one paid much mind to the fact that the noble seat was left vacant.</p><p>Given all this, Mana was not sure what she expected to see when she arrived at the ruins of the Oreol Manor. She could have expected a statue in honor of the hero’s mother - he had reportedly been quite fond of her. There could have been a fancy grave for the hero himself. Maybe she expected none of that but rather the hollow feeling of a once grand estate collapsing in on itself here and there with empty halls and rooms filled only with shadows and silence where the flickering of a fire and tinkling sound of laughter were once present. There were many things she could have expected. Among them, another person was not on the list.</p><p>Especially one who seemed to know she was coming.</p><p>He sat on a fallen log in what would have once been a grand front courtyard, his pale skin and golden eyes standing out in sharp contrast to the dark wood of the dead tree and grass about him. His slightly pointed ears made Mana assume he was an elf, though the few elves she had met before felt different somehow.</p><p>“Hello.” The man greeted in a melodic voice as she approached the front gate which managed to somehow look elegant despite hanging on only one hinge. “I had quite thought you would arrive a little later.”</p><p>Mana eyed the man suspiciously. “Are you the one who has been giving me those dreams?”</p><p>“Goodness, no.” The man laughed lightly. “That is not my gift.” He turned his face to the sky, a faraway look in his eyes. “That is the gift of another age.” He turned back to her. “The gift of a Guardian.”</p><p>“What sort of guardian?” Mana paused with her hand resting on the gate, not sure if she should come any closer to this strange man.</p><p>“The kind that has almost died out.” The man replied, his gold eyes shining. “But this is not why you are here.” He rose from the log he had been sitting on and walked to the gate, pulling as he did so an old tome from beside the fallen log that Mana hadn’t noticed before. </p><p>It was very much like the tome in her dream.</p><p>“The answers you seek are here.” The man offered her the tome. “But they are not what you expect.”</p><p>Mana hesitantly took the tome and opened it, careful not to damage the worn pages. Her eyes widened when they fell upon the title. <em>The Truth of the Great Reshapings: An Account from the One Who First Mistepped</em></p><p>She looked up. “What is this?”</p><p>“You might consider it my diary.” The man replied solemnly. “Though I have only written what is necessary, and only those touched by a Guardian’s blessing may read it.”</p><p>Mana shook her head. “If you were going to give me your diary personally,” she questioned, opening the gate after all and following the man as he went back to sit on the fallen log, “why write it down at all?”</p><p>The man smiled sadly and gazed into the distance. “Because this time I cannot help you.” As she watched, the man seemed to glimmer and fade in the sunlight. “And I was not sure if I would have enough time.”</p><p>“Who are you?”</p><p>The man turned back to face Mana as his form dissipated so that only a glimmering golden outline of his form remained. “Aman.” </p><p>And then he was gone.</p><p>***</p>
<h4>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 58 E.E. DR</h4><p>Three people landed in a heap, each of them glowing softly. None of the three noticed their glowing skin, The glowing quickly tapered away before they separated themselves. </p><p>The youngest of the group grumbled about quitting. The older female had a nice set of rings on the third finger of her left hand. The lone male had a matching ring on his corresponding finger. He looked around and grinned happily.</p><p>“The duffle came this time!”</p><p>The youngest fingered something holstered on her hip. It looked like a hot pink buck knife…</p><p>***</p>
<h4>Spotted Pounce, Smuggler’s Ship, Outside Qwayla Orbit, Pocsom System, 10,148 E.N.</h4><p>Inani did not enjoy their time on the smuggler’s ship. It was cramped and full of shed fur. How the fur did not clog any ventilation systems, Inani did not know.</p><p>For the short period of time that the smuggler’s ship was being inspected for items that The Nine ruled couldn’t leave Qwayla, they were a convincing enough actor to pull off being the smuggler’s younger sibling. They hadn’t much practiced at half-shifter make-up, but they had played a cat once. (It was a nonsense play but… it was the best play that season. Inani was very happy they didn’t suffer with itchy fur like most of their co-stars.)</p><p>The smuggler, Jolk Virethorn, had tufted ears nestled in spotted black fur. Jolk recommended the colors Inani should use for her fur; either a solid black or a gray with black spots. It would most closely match with Virethorn clowder characteristics. </p><p>Inani was delighted with knowing these characteristics, but they weren’t sure how a half-shifter even came to live peacefully on Qwayla.  They also weren’t sure how Jolk got a pass to leave Qwayla so often. They had asked him, but he avoided the question. The question kept being avoided throughout their journey to Tierra. </p><p>Inani had never left Qwayla. How would they survive on Tierra?</p><p>***</p>
<h4>Tree Farm, Macaonit, Qwayla, Pocsom System, 10th day of Niw, 10,165 E.N.</h4><p>He was worried. Something was happening to the Qwa Trees. They began to change color; it wasn’t the color that showed that they needed to be harvested. It looked more sinister. </p><p>Qwa Trees had bark that turned bright red when they needed to be harvested from. Qwa Trees needed to be harvested from about once every five years. Although Qwa Trees grew slowly, once they reached a certain height, they underwent a chemical change that turned the bark bright red. This was reversible by trimming the trees down. If left untrimmed, the Qwa Trees would begin to die and the bark color would become brighter and lighter. (Qwa Trees exploded once they reached a nauseately bright pink color. This could wipe out an entire small farm like it did at the beginning of Qwayla.)  Qwa Trees were very high maintenance trees.</p><p>Mac Qorakee, The Treeman, (this is what most of Macaonit knew him by because he owned the largest Qwa Tree farm in all of Qwayla), knew this and set his farm up by when the trees needed to be harvested from. He called his fields after the months of the year because not all of his workers understood Standard numbering. His parents taught him, against the rules of The Nine, because they knew that sometimes The Nine will let the farmers handle trade negotiation. </p><p>Many in the known worlds didn’t realize that Qwayla was not as separated as it appeared. Although The Nine declared Qwayla separated, Qwayla still had trade deals to honor. Especially for Qwa Tree wood. It was the foremost wood used on Dootenya and the other systems. One reason it was used on Dootenya was that Qwa Tree wood was magically inert. Harvesting Qwa Tree wood had a way of negating magical energies. ‘Maybe the brightness of the bark is a signal of a buildup of mana?’ Mac thought.</p><p>Living Qwa Trees themselves blocked teleportation energies. Qwayla had some mana, but everyone knew that to try a teleportation spell on Qwayla was to sentence yourself to a very grisly messy death. You died quick, but your remains would be unidentifiable due to the amount of pieces and where the pieces would land. </p><p>Mac vaguely remembered the story of how this power of the Qwa Trees was discovered. The story goes that a mana user from Dootenya was visiting the Mountains of Macaonit and decided that he didn’t want to walk all the way back to his hotel room. When he didn’t return for the night, the hotel put out a missing person report. At least one person from every business in Macaonit looked for the visiting mana user. Almost everyone discovered something but it wasn’t a whole being. There were teeth found in almost every grove on the Qorakee farm. A few flesh covered bones mysteriously dropped near the searchers. </p><p>One lucky searcher found the visitor’s pack near one of the high resting spots on Mount Qorlak. Mount Qorlak boasted the second highest peak in Qwayla. The search of the pack back in town found the visitor’s journal. The visitor wrote that his legs were tired from all the hiking and that he was just going to ‘port back outside his hotel. This was after a lot of studying of any Qwa Tree he went by. The trees felt ‘off’ to him somehow.  </p><p>Several weeks after the visitor’s disappearance, The Nine banned all teleportation on Qwayla. The story about the visitor made its way around Qwayla and there were even plays that followed his story. The famous actor Inani Truella, may she be in with the Qwa Trees, got her first big performance on stage as the visitor and one of The Nine in the biggest of the plays: “Teleportation.” </p><p>What wasn’t publicly documented was that pieces of the visitor were found in Cheyenne, Gian, and Isatemukeh. When The Nine heard reports of bloody bones and flesh just appearing in the Gian mines, showing up in the fields of Isatemukeh, and washing up on the beaches of Cheyenne, they connected it to the bits of the visitor they found on Macaonit. They promptly banned any mana use around Qwa Trees. This filtered down to the masses as “NO Teleportation.” </p><p>Mac knew almost everything there was to know about Qwa Trees. He studied all of his ancestor’s journals and he fervently studied the trees at the farm. One of his tasks that he set himself was to everyday walk one of the groves and inspect the trees. He prevented a disaster when he found an almost pink tree in grove Yal two years ago during one of his walk-arounds. </p><p>One of his ancestors had a connection to mana and would use it in the house. The closest grove to the house, grove Qot, had an accelerated schedule of harvesting. This led to the family to conclude that Qwa Trees soaked up mana and this was why they exploded spectacularly. This soaking up of the mana was dramatic, so it often made spells go awry. The ancestor had so many spells just not work that he thought his connection to mana was very low. He made one trip to Dootenya and he cast a simple water spell. He almost caused a flood. That was when the family knew that it was their connection to mana and the land that kept the Qwa Trees so healthy for so long. </p><p>All of this knowledge didn’t prepare Mac to find dark brownish-gray spots on the Qwa Trees in grove Ana. The next day, he and all his workers inspected all the groves. Half of the Qwa Trees had the spots. Mac contacted his neighbors. He consulted his ancestors' books. He didn’t know what he was going to do. He reported this anomaly to The Nine. </p>
<h4>Tierra, Pocsom System, late 825 Fi.E.</h4><p>Breaking News: There will be a recall of Qwa Tree furniture. The furniture produced this year has caused several fatalities and severe injuries including loss of limbs. The recall is for all furniture made and/or bought since 824 Fi.E.  </p><p> </p>
<h4>The Clawed Healer, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fo.E.</h4><p>Jule woke up. They were on a bed. Covered with a blanket. ‘They made it,’ they thought, happy they woke up not feeling as sore as they thought they probably should be.</p><p>“Who attacked you?” Came a demanding question from the Vulpine Healer. Their fur, no hair, was standing on end, bristling in anger.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Regarding rule 3 L: This was the only rule that was written by a writer whose turn it was not, with an addendum, pending ratification. And it is also the only rule that had to be ratified because it broke the rules of the document-that rules cannot break previous rules.</p><p>C: I am proud of that<br/>L: Historical references<br/>C: No, just me not wanting to have to write about that<br/>L: You didn't<br/>C: No, I didn't. But I did prevent other people from writing contradictions to what I was setting up.</p><p>On rule 6 Dec 7: L: I sense favoritism<br/>C: I needed it for a plot point</p><p>Rule 7 Dec 7: C: This was going to be a much bigger plot point but I ran out of month.<br/>L &amp; S: /laughing/</p><p>C: “Yes, these rules are my fault.”<br/>S: “Not rule 9.”<br/>C: “All these rules are my fault except rule 9. That’s your fault”</p><p>Story Comments:</p><p>“Now that is loyalty!”<br/>“This gave me inspiration for Christmas.”<br/>“I know who that is now.”<br/>“I didn’t know it when I wrote this.”</p><p>“Death flag! That’s a death flag!”</p><p>General glaring and grinding of teeth by L as C begins reading the second story of the 7th.<br/>S points at C and repeats: This was her fault!<br/>C laughs so hard she can’t read.<br/>L continues grinding teeth - but also laughs</p><p>C mispronounces a word. “I have a low performance check.”<br/>“Yeah, you must keep rolling low.”</p><p>“Why did she have an I.D. plate?”<br/>“I was going with its like a driver’s license, everyone has one.”<br/>“One, maybe in Qwayla. Two, not an underground organization.”</p><p>S: to C: “This was also you.”</p><p>“I did enjoy some of this. Not going to lie.”</p><p>“That would be an important distinction.”</p><p>“I feel like I wrote this prior to this.”<br/>“Because I copied the allowed character description.”</p><p>“Very different from my ‘Soon.’ in November.”</p><p>S: “Don’t you love that’s how I introduced them?”<br/>C: and L: “Yes!”</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Get on with it!”<br/>Kudos to anyone who gets the reference.</p><p>“I imagine that instead of pepto bismol pink, they have Qwa tree pink.”<br/>“And it’s a very dangerous color.”<br/>“It’s the caution tape of Qwayla.”</p><p>“Just going to point this out. This reads like the most disturbing travel brochure.”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. 8 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Three more rules!</p>
<p>Day 8 total: 295 words<br/>8-day total: 12,311 words</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 29</strong>: Qwa Trees are more dangerous the brighter or darker they are. Qwa Trees are a light oaky wood color, any color changes may indicate explosions on the horizon. </p>
<p><strong>Rule 30</strong>: Mushroom rings are sacred. Visiting without permission is almost like teleporting near Qwa Trees. Dangerous and messy for the people involved. </p>
<p><strong>Rule 31</strong>: Pointing out shifter characteristics outside of family groups is rude. This is true even if you are a shifter or half-shifter</p><h4>The Clawed Healer, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fo.E.</h4><p>Jule knew enough about shifter culture to not mention the biological reaction of the Healer’s anger. </p>
<p>Jule wasn’t sure what the Healer was talking about. They remember pain and then blackness. Jule’s thoughts raced through what might have happened to them. They took stock of the remarkably little pain they were in. They knew the Vulpine Healer was good; they hadn’t realized how much pain they had been in three days ago.</p>
<p>Jule was taken from their thoughts of pain-free marvel as they felt someone move their hooves around. Jule heard someone muttering near there. They propped themselves up on their elbows to see the new person.</p>
<p>“What are you doing with my hooves?”</p>
<p>“I’m giving you shoes and trimming your hooves,” Jule received two glares, one from the person doing the work and one from the Healer. “When was the last time you trimmed your hooves?”</p>
<p>Jule was silent. ‘Was it before or after the expedition?’ </p><h4>Mushroom Faerie Circle, Whimwallow Grove, Ranaka Forest, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</h4><p>Trei Eknal was out of sight. They were marveling over their newest circle. It was a thing of beauty. So many pretty mushrooms, of all sorts of colors and sizes! It would make their siblings cry with delight...if Trei wanted their work ruined and cried over. Trei stared at the ring in admiration for hours. </p>
<p>A branch cracked loudly from nearby. Trei went on alert. ‘Who is coming to the ring?’ They thought. They knew the elves would not dare enter near any faerie circles, ‘We fae are protective of our circles. Damage to the circle damages us.’</p>
<p>Trei spotted a being nearby. ‘A foolish mortal comes to have an adventure at MY circle,’ they angrily thought. ‘We’ll see about that.’</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>S: I love this rule because the story around this rule is beautiful.<br/>C: The story around this rule is weird. And fragmented.<br/>S: And?<br/>L: Yes.<br/>C: And I love it.</p>
<p>S: “Was that a me rule or a you rule, L:?”<br/>L: “That was a you rule.”</p>
<p>L: “You guys hijacked one of my favorite characters!”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. 9 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Read the chapter. It is not long.</p><p>9-day total: 12, 311 words</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 32</strong>: Jule is not the kind of shifter (or half shifter) most people assume they are. Those of her race are normally mistaken for shifters, and that term could be used to describe them, but as a point of distinction, they refer to themselves as shape-changers. While shifters are born with a single animal form and half-shifters are always stuck in an in-between form, shape-changers can take any form as long as it belongs to an animal or one of the races of the world. Unlike shifters, their form does NOT change when they are heavily injured which often leads to the misperception by healers that they are half-shifters. Actually, a shape-changer is often “stuck” in whatever form they happen to be in when they are heavily injured because changing takes energy and can be painful, particularly when injured. 

</p>
<p>No story writing occurred today because Sinsrfun10 introduced Laicolasse and Calenlas to <em>Julie and the Phantoms</em> and they binge-watched the entire season.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>L: “They.” - correcting her accidental use of ‘she’ to refer to Jule who is gender unspecified.<br/>S: points out that in the Dec 9 rule, Jule is gendered female once.<br/>L: “I didn’t mean to do that.” - referring to the solitary female pronoun EVER used to refer to Jule</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. 10 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rules 33 and 34</p>
<p>318<br/>12,629</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I changed this from free to freeze. You're welcome.<br/>Thank you! (Autocorrect is my nemesis!) OOOOOOHHHHHH That's a story prompt!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 33</strong>: Dootenya has three moons, and each one bears a distinct color (one yellow, one blue, and one red). The moons only appear in the sky together once a year, and once every year no moon appears in the sky. The pattern in which the moons appear is detailed in the list below:</p><ul>
<li>Month 1-Yellow</li>
<li>Month 2-Blue</li>
<li>Month 3-Red</li>
<li>Month 4-Blue</li>
<li>Month 5-Yellow</li>
<li>Month 6-No Moon</li>
<li>Month 7-Yellow</li>
<li>Month 8-Blue</li>
<li>Month 9-Red</li>
<li>Month 10-Blue</li>
<li>Month 11-Yellow</li>
<li>Month 12-All Moons</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Rule 34</strong>: The race of elves Rhîwgwaewen (Winter) belongs to counts years by cycles of the moon. One moon cycle is equivalent to one year. As such, the elves like Winter have taken to referring to their age in moons (an abbreviated form of moon cycle) where 1 moon = 1 year.</p><h4>Mountains somewhere in Dootenya, Poscom System, 1712 Fo.E.</h4><p>Cold.</p>
<p>There was nothing but ice and snow and freezing, biting winds. She was lost in inky blackness and bitter cold.</p>
<p>A piercing cry met her sensitive ears. Were she not an elf, she doubted the sound would have reached her above the howl of the winter storm. </p>
<p>“Shh, baby, shh.” A woman’s voice, soothing, warm. “I’m sorry baby. I don’t have anything else to keep you warm.”</p>
<p>She was probably going to freeze anyway. Maybe her cloak would give the child a chance.</p>
<p>“No, I couldn’t take your cloak! You’ll freeze to death!”</p>
<p>“Elves are resistant to the cold.” That wasn’t a lie. But this kind of cold was enough to be lethal, especially to an elf who wasn’t even full-grown yet. Most humans didn’t really understand elves, though.</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Ah, she was crying. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>***</p><h4>Ice Block, Frozen Hills, Glacia Minu, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</h4><p>“Winter, are you awake?”</p>
<p>Miss Ria’s voice pulled Rhîwgwaewen out of her trance, and she was grateful for it. She had disliked trancing since she reached 98 moons. Her memories danced through her mind, memories which made her curse her nearly perfect memory. </p>
<p>“Wint- Oh!” Miss Ria stumbled, tripping over her own feet, as she came to check on Rhîwgwaewen and the bowl she carried slipped off it’s tray. Rhîwgwaewen sent a quick bolt of frost to stop the contents from spilling out as she stood quickly to catch Miss Ria before she fell.</p>
<p>“Ah, thank you Winter.” The bowl clattered to the floor just as Rhîwgwaewen caught Miss Ria around the waist. “I’m sorry about your breakfast. I’ll go make you another bowl.”</p>
<p>“No, it’s alright.” Rhîwgwaewen planted Miss Ria firmly on her feet before sweeping down to retrieve the bowl. “I’ll thaw it over the fire.”</p>
<p>Miss Ria gave her an exasperated look, but refrained from commenting.</p>
<p>Miss Ria gave her an exasperated look, but refrained from commenting.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>C: This rule is only used three times?<br/>L: I ran out of month.</p>
<p>S: I love that Dootenya is on a 12 month calendar while Qwayla is 10 months<br/>L: Well, I guess Dootenya months are longer.<br/>C: No, Qwayla months are longer.<br/>S: /nods in agreement/<br/>L: That’s what I meant.<br/>L: Well, I guess One month on the regular calendar is two years for the Qwayla one<br/>C: and S: /emphatically/ NO!<br/>L: /implicitly agrees/<br/>S: No. No. Nooooooooooo!</p>
<p>In reference to Rule 2 L: That is the reason I made Rule 1. Then I thought of a way to use Rule 1. Then I promptly forgot.</p>
<p>Story Comments:</p>
<p>“Hey look at this comment!” “Did we add this to the story prompts list yet?” Checks. “Yes, it’s number nine.”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. 11 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rules 35-41. There are pronoun things. </p>
<p>2,188<br/>14,817</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comment's made while writing this fic:</p>
<p>"I love how the snippets are progressing with _." "Yeah, its 'you were told not to go here' then 'you shouldn't have come here'" "And then what's next?" "Kicking a dead body saying you were warned not to come here."</p>
<p>"I'm trying to figure out where in time I am."</p>
<p>"WHY ARE YOU DOING DEUS ET MACHINA SO EARLY IN THE STORY?!?!"</p>
<p>"By the way, I'm going to make it worse before it gets better." "Isn't that how we do everything?" "Yeah"</p>
<p>"I'll give it you later when I'm bored." "I'm not sure that's how that's supposed to work."</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 35</strong>: While most people believe that Percival slew the Great Evil, he actually was forced to kill his sister, Rune. This was part of a larger, necessary plan to once more banish the Great Evil through Aman’s power - something Aman had done once before.</p>
<p><strong>Rule 36</strong>: Aman used significantly more of his power in the second banishing of the Great Evil than in the first, and this took a toll on his very existence so that he knew he would not be able to do so again, nor was he certain how long he would continue to exist. This is why he began writing the book which he later gave to Mana in which he detailed the first coming of the Great Evil (the Great Catastrophe and subsequent great destruction) which he had caused and remedied, the second coming and its resolution (at the time of Percival - Rune’s involvement had heretofore been unknown by anyone but the those directly involved), and the theory that it would come again with instructions for how to grasp Aman’s essence even after his passing. He made this book readable only by those blessed by a Guardian, for only they would be able to accomplish such a thing and survive it, and Aman still blamed himself for Rune’s death - something he did not want to be repeated.</p>
<p><strong>Rule 37</strong>: When a deity ceases to exist, their essence remains. It is possible for another being to grasp and absorb that essence; however, most people would die from this. Other deities are capable of surviving the absorption if their gift was similar. A person blessed by one of the Guardians is also capable of surviving the absorption if the gift of the deity aligns with the purpose of the blessing. The absorption can be split between multiple people as well; however, this does not minimize the negative impacts that it can have.</p>
<p><strong>Rule 38</strong>:  Absorption of the essence of a deity grants limited access to the deity’s gift. Splitting the absorption between multiple people grants a greater overall access to the deity’s gift. For example, absorbing the essence of Aman would grant one person a piece of his melody, allowing that person to do minimal things like the erasing of the reindeer’s tracks. Split between three people, each person would get a different piece of the melody which, when used in harmony, would come closer to the complete melody and allow access to much greater powers (though not the full extent of Aman’s power by any means).</p>
<p><strong>Rule 39</strong>: Dev is a reincarnation of the Great Evil that was born into the worlds sometime after the vanquishing of the Darkness by the three heroes.</p>
<p><strong>Rule 40</strong>: Nullerne is the name of a planet that used to exist in the Poscom System. It had always been uninhabited, and then, close to the beginning of the Great Destruction, it blew up and ceased to exist. Hence, the phrase “you look like you got too close to Nullerne” has come to mean that a person is in really bad shape, usually due to injuries.</p>
<p><strong>Rule 41</strong>: Elglins are a People known for their speed, their affinity with the earth, and their ability to minorly manipulate gravity. In appearance, they are similar to humans, though their skin is always one of three general tones: deep olive green, umber brown, or obsidian black. They tend to have brightly colored hair that contrasts their skin, and their eyes are usually a pastel color, often similar to the color of their hair. An elglin with electric blue hair, for instance, might have baby blue eyes. White hair is usually paired with grey eyes.</p><h4>Somewhere in Vintelium, early 1245 S.E.</h4><p>Rune tried to spit out the aftertaste of blood. She would have rinsed her mouth, but that would require thawing some snow for water, which would require fire, which would require her using magic, which was a bad idea immediately after having to strengthen the seal on the Great Evil because her body was weakened because of wandering in freezing conditions in too little clothing with almost no supplies and far less than sufficient money (not that money would help their current predicament) that she and Percival had been doing.</p>
<p>“Are you alright, sister?” Percival questioned, patting her on the back after wrapping his hand with a make-shift bandage made out of a strip of cloth torn off his shirt.</p>
<p>Rune looked at her brother apologetically. “I’m fine.” She shivered.</p>
<p>Percival gave her that look that says ‘I don’t buy it.’</p>
<p>“As fine as I can be.” She clarified.</p>
<p>The two had been caught in a blizzard not long after leaving the Humali Kingdom and been forced to find shelter somewhere - anywhere. This had taken them away from the road and to a small cave where they had spent three nights huddled around a fire that Rune had maintained entirely through magic due to a lack of wood nearby. Once the blizzard had passed, their tracks had been entirely erased and the poorly maintained road was nowhere in sight - probably buried under five feet of snow. Having only a vague idea of the direction they had been traveling before the blizzard, Rune and Percival took their best guess of the road’s location and hoped to find it again later, but it had been close to two months and they were no closer to finding a town, so the road probably turned at some point, and they were no longer even roughly following it.</p>
<p>Which meant they had to survive the harsh winter alone in a foreign land. At first, it wasn’t too bad. Rune was able to start fires without needing flint (thankfully, since the flint they had brought with them was lost in the blizzard), and they still had some food which they rationed to last as long as possible. Together they foraged for winter berries - though these were sparse in this region - and hunted the few creatures that were still out and about in the cold. Percival was particularly good at tracking in the snow and therefore led the hunts. This was, of course, due to training he had received from their father that Rune was routinely excluded from because it required spending long amounts of time in the harsh elements of winter, and their father wanted to limit the stress on her body.</p>
<p>This turned out to be a very wise decision on his part.</p>
<p>Around the time their rations ran out and another blizzard passed through which caused any berries in the area to be wiped out and the few animals around to hide too well for Percival to be able to track them, Rune felt the seal sapping more of her magic than usual. Once every other day or so, the dark powers of the Great Evil started leaking out of her, and Percival ran to her side and made her drink his blood to strengthen the seal. This in turn was weakening Percival - she was taking quite a bit of his blood lately. Of course, the weaker Percival became, the more Rune became upset emotionally as she worried she would lose her brother. And so the cycle was perpetually worsening.</p>
<p>It had now been about a week since they had any food - they were subsisting on thawed snow which would not work much longer.</p>
<p>“Come here.” Rune pulled Percival into a tight hug to share body heat. It was getting late, and she would not be able to start a fire before morning with her current condition.</p>
<p>Percival wrapped his cloak around himself and his sister and the two lay down and drifted off to sleep from pure exhaustion, shivering and hungry.</p>
<p>***</p><h4>Ruins of Oreol Manor, Aidil Men, Humali Republic, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</h4><p>Mana was unsure how long she stared at the place where Aman used to be before she began reading the book in her hands. She was not sure, either, how long she had been reading since then, though it was quite dark and the yellow moon hung high in the sky, but she was sure of one thing: This was not the history of the worlds knew.</p>
<p>Not that she was surprised after what Aman had said to her.</p>
<p>She closed the book, sighing heavily. This was a lot to take in, and she wasn’t even halfway through. Besides that, she was certain this book had been in her dream. But in the dream, it wasn’t only the book that was required to defeat the dark hand - whatever that represented. There had been two others with her. </p>
<p>It looked like her next task was to find them. </p>
<p>But how in the three solar systems was she going to locate two people whom she had only seen as blurry images in a dream?</p>
<p>***</p><h4>The Clawed Healer, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fo.E.</h4><p>Adrian was losing patience. It was clear this half-shifter was thinking about Adrian and Taylor’s questions, but they weren’t giving any responses.</p>
<p>“I’ll ask one more time.” Adrian flexed one clawed hand, their anger making it difficult to retain humanoid form. “Who attacked you?”</p>
<p>The half-shifter turned back to face them with a puzzled look on their face. “What do you mean?”</p>
<p>Taylor, still fiddling with the new horseshoes they were fitting the half-shifter with paused and stared at them. “What do you mean, ‘what do you mean’? When Adrian pulled me in here, you looked like you’d been too close to Nullerne.”</p>
<p>The half-shifter was quiet for a moment. “Well, I do remember being in a lot of pain… and there was some blood… that’s why I came here...I think.” They paused and shook their head as if they could remember no more.</p>
<p>“If that’s what you call ‘some blood’” Adrian laughed darkly - it came out more like a snarl “then I’d hate to see what ‘a lot of blood’ looks like.” They pointed to the large pile of blood-soaked rags which had been used to clean the blood that had previously been dying the Clawed Healer’s floors a deep shade of crimson. It was impressive that the half-shifter had survived such copious amounts of blood loss.</p>
<p>The half-shifter looked at the pile and their face blanched. “That’s all mine?” They wondered aloud.</p>
<p>Adrian nodded.</p>
<p>“We were hoping you could tell us more about what happened before we had to go to the guards.” Taylor interrupted, running a hand through their thick rust-colored hair.</p>
<p>The half-shifter shot up - or tried to before being held down by both Taylor and Adrian since their wounds were not fully healed. “No guards!”</p>
<p>Adrian exchanged a look with Taylor.</p>
<p>“Okay, no guards… yet.” Adrian stated harshly. “But you have to give us a good reason.”</p>
<p>The half-shifter was silent for a moment. “I’m part of the Expeditioners.” They muttered.</p>
<p>“The what?” Adrian and Taylor asked in unison.</p>
<p>***</p><h4>Beneath Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fo.E.</h4><p>“We lost Jule.” A dark-skinned man with long white hair tied back in a low ponytail entered the underground through the sewer entrance - he was an elglin, a People known for their speed, their affinity with the earth, and their ability to manipulate gravity - though only minorly. “They were heavily injured and I sent them to the Clawed Healer, but I doubt they made it - don’t think they even remember the attack.”</p>
<p>“That-” An aging woman who sat in a nearby armchair gasped. </p>
<p>The man looked at her with pity. It was Jule’s mother. Of course this would be hard to hear. Especially since Jule was still fairly young for a shapechanger. Hadn’t even chosen a main form yet.</p>
<p>“They’ll pay.” He assured the woman.</p>
<p>And he meant it.</p>
<p>***</p><h4>Department of Exploration Main Office, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fo.E.</h4><p>“The Expeditioners evaded our attack.” A voice came through the intercom. “Though one was heavily injured while making a way for the rest to escape - they couldn’t have gotten far in that condition. We are looking for them now.”</p>
<p>***</p><h4>Close to the western border of Vintelium, early 1245 S.E.</h4><p>It was here. Aman was sure of it. He had felt pulses for quite some time now as though the vessel’s seal was weakening, so he had rushed toward its location. And now he was right above it, but all he could see was snow.</p>
<p>Then again, it had snowed last night - quite heavily at that. Hastily, Aman knelt over the snow where he most strongly sensed the evil and listened.</p>
<p>Two heartbeats.</p>
<p>They were slow - very slow. The owners of the heartbeats were probably dying. Beyond that, he felt the evil stirring again and realized with mounting dread what that must mean: The vessel was a person.</p>
<p>He ground his teeth. This should never have happened. If he had not failed the last time - no, if he had never caused the catastrophe to begin with - then…</p>
<p>He shook his head and began to sing. This would take a fair bit of energy, and he had not yet fully recovered, but there was no helping it. The snow parted, revealing the forms of two young humans - children. Granted, they were likely close to adulthood in human terms, but still. </p>
<p>This should never have happened to them.</p>
<p>Aman kept singing, lifting their cold bodies out of the snow and bringing them to the place in the forest nearby where he had slept the night before. He carefully deposited the two on the forest floor after clearing the snow in a fairly wide circular berth. Collecting fallen branches from the area nearby, he set a large fire in the center of the area and moved the two children as close as he dared.</p>
<p>“I know you are there.” Aman called out. “Now would be a good time to intervene.” </p>
<p>“It is the job of a Guardian to influence, not to act.” A tall, muscular woman with golden skin marked with scales near her shoulders and the mark of the Guardian on her left arm stepped into the clearing, long, slender deep golden horns protruded from her forehead. </p>
<p>“No.” Aman shook his head. “It is the job of a Guardian to guard.” He pressed the back of his hand to each of the children’s foreheads - cold, too cold. “They will die without healing, and I do not have enough power left.”</p>
<p>The dragon woman came closer. “How do you know what I am? What I can do?”</p>
<p>“Have you never met a deity before?” He questioned. “Some of us know many things.”</p>
<p>This was taking too long. Aman turned and grabbed the dragon by the hand, leading her to the children. The dragon resisted his pull at first, but, perhaps because she sensed no hostility from him, she relented and knelt at last by the children, placing her hands over them and speaking words in the Tongue of the Dragons. A shimmering white light passed from her hands to the children, and they began to look healthier.</p>
<p>“The existence of the Guardians,” the dragon woman began when she was finished, “must not be made known.” She rose to her feet and turned to face Aman who had been scraping bark off of a nearby Silv tree.</p>
<p>Without turning to look back at her, Aman replied. “And it will not be.”</p>
<p>The children began to stir.</p>
<p>“You should go.” Aman turned at last, holding a scraping from the tender flesh of the Silv tree which lies beneath its bark.</p>
<p>The dragon woman nodded and began to walk away, turning back once at the edge of the clearing. “I am called Amma Hleah.” She paused. “Should you need to call me again.” And with that, she was gone.</p>
<p>Aman smiled gently and went to the children’s sides, placing the Silv flesh over the fire.</p>
<p>***</p><h4>Mushroom Faerie Circle, Whimwallow Grove, Ranaka Forest, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</h4><p>“Foolish mortal.” Trei kicked the lifeless body one more time for good measure.</p>
<p>Then, Trei rifled through the bag on the body and pulled out an identification plate. Yes, it was perfectly fine - good, moral, just, all of those things - for Trei to kill the one who dared enter a sacred mushroom circle, but it wasn’t nice to let the perpetrator’s family wonder where they disappeared to either. So, it was time for a little adventure. Trei carefully dragged the body out of the circle in such a was as to avoid damaging any of the precious mushrooms and headed for the place listed on the identification plate under ‘home.’</p>
<p>Maybe Trei could set up a new mushroom circle after returning the remains. They had never been to Rilne in the Humali Republic before.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>C: “Hey, L didn’t get the long one this time.”<br/>S: “Yeah, that’s karma back to you.”<br/>C: “Except that you’re the one who has to read 7 rules this time.”</p>
<p>“Another plot point that was going to be developed and then I ran out of month.”<br/>“I believe that’s going to be a theme.”</p>
<p>S: “And I totally just realized how that linked back to what we did to Greg, Samantha, and Em.”<br/>C: “Yep.” /self-satisfied smirk/</p>
<p>S: “This I knew was directed at the Three”</p>
<p>“Poor Dev.”</p>
<p>C: “I wrote this rule because I needed to say ‘you look like you’ve been to hell and back.’”<br/>L: “Yeah, she literally turned to me while writing and asked how you can say ‘you look like you’ve been to hell and back’ without referencing hell.”</p>
<p>L: “I don’t know how she comes up with these things, though I can generally figure out how to pronounce them.”<br/>S: “I appreciate you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Story Comments:</p>
<p>“Hold on. I'm having scrolling issues.”<br/>“Technical difficulties.”<br/>“Scrolling issues.”<br/>“Technical difficulties.”<br/>“Scrolling issues.”<br/>“Technical difficulties.”</p>
<p>“Yay! We’re back to where we thought we were last time.”</p>
<p>“There are only five pronouns here.” /slowclap/ “Good job avoiding ‘they confusion.’”<br/>“That was hard.”<br/>“Yeah, we had three people in the room who all went by they/them/their.”</p>
<p>“I had to write a rule because of you.”</p>
<p>S: “Sorry, I’m enjoying what I did here.”<br/>L: “I started it. You took it away.”<br/>C: “And I made it worse.”</p>
<p>C: “I wrote this part!”</p>
<p>L: “Fine? It was fine?” a bit later “That’s the problem?!”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. 14 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Why did I skip the 12th and 13th? We didn't write and there were no pithy excuses why writing did not happen, ergo day skips.</p>
<p>Rules 42-46</p>
<p>2,203<br/>17,120</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments made while writing this fic:<br/>S: I did things...<br/>L: Okay /nonchalantly turns away as if completely unaffected/<br/>C: Sounds fun and dangerous /smiles/</p>
<p>L: /to C/ So where on earth did you get "Elgin's" from?<br/>C: It looked good.<br/>L: ...Yeah, I thought as much.<br/>C: What can I say? /shrugging memoji/<br/>S: C, It is now the thing in our stories. I name things and people oddly, L breaks our hearts, and you /C/ write things that 'look good'.<br/>C: Yep. Proudly. /Self-satisfied smirk/<br/>L: I write things that break your hearts and your walls. Fourth walls specifically.<br/>C &amp; S: /uncontrollable laughter/</p>
<p>L: /referring to the duffle bag world rule Dec 14 Rule 3/ True, but really?<br/>C: That's a rule? It sounds more like something that belongs in the comments... /smiles/ I like it.<br/>S: There is a reason.</p>
<p>"Meanie. The entire section is black."<br/>"Yes. I know. Just wait."<br/>"... /looks suspicously/"<br/>"Yes, you should."</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 42</strong>: Westwood Way is the place for all filmmaking throughout the Poscom System. It sets all standards for acting and how to create films and plays. Many move to the Westwood Way landmass to make it as a film star. Most do not succeed.</p>
<p><strong>Rule 43</strong>: Hope exists. There will never be a time without Hope. </p>
<p><strong>Rule 44</strong>: Duffle bags are important. They can save your life. </p>
<p><strong>Rule 45</strong>: While Malug Ullu Rusur mostly acts without making his presence known, he has always thought the insistence of Guardians avoiding revealing their presence at all costs was foolish and contrary to their purpose. Yes, their role was one of guidance, but it was also one of guards. They were meant to protect the worlds and their occupants, and if he had to make himself known to do so, he would.</p>
<p><strong>Rule 46</strong>: The negative energy that destroyed Trei’s mushroom faerie circles came from remnants of the Great Evil. It has been slowly seeping into Trei’s faerie circles because it “sensed” the resistance to itself. The circles in Whimwallow and outside the Humali Republic survived because Trei had visited those circles most recently. If they leave them unattended too long, they will be destroyed too. The period of time they can be unattended will shorten the closer time draws to the coming of the darkness, though this can be off-set to some degree depending on the amount of time and energy Trei devotes to making protective barriers.</p>
<p> </p><h4>Westwood Way, Tierra, Poscom System, 826 Fi.E.</h4><p>Inani had safely made their way onto Tierra and had earned themself a few small parts on various popular shows. They even earned a recurring role as a villain! They were so thrilled when the call for that part came through.</p>
<p>They knew they were a good actor. Many in the industry wondered where they were from. Inani knew the benefits of being a complete mystery.</p>
<p>***</p><h4>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 58 E.E. DR</h4><p>The youngest of the three travelers made their way to the duffle bag. She rifled through it, making sure that it was the interdimensional traveling duffle and not the overnight duffle for long nights making contingency plans for when this happens. </p>
<p>She pulled out a laminated checklist. She marked each item off, satisfied that her former professors could pack the duffle so well. Then she reached a semi-important item section. She looked and looked again.</p>
<p>She walked over to the older woman, leaned in and asked where the items were at in a whisper. </p>
<p>“They aren’t there? They were there the last time I had to check the bag.” There was a pause. “He checked the list last time.”</p>
<p>Both women turned to the man in the group. </p>
<p>“Where are these?” She asked her husband, indicating the particular items on the list. </p>
<p>He turned red. Although he had been buying those items for his wife and now their protegé for a couple of years now, he still turned bright red at the mention of them. Back home, it would make the two women giggle. They weren’t giggling now.  </p>
<p>***</p><h4>Mushroom Faerie Circle, Whimwallow Grove, Ranaka Forest, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</h4><p>Trei believed that feeding the circle the bodies of intruders was a good way to damage a perfect circle. ‘Now what is the best way to transport a dead intruder back to Rilne?’</p>
<p>Trei snapped their fingers. The intruder transformed into… a mushroom. This new mushroom was a poisonous-looking purple and silver. It looked to entice an unwary soul to eat it. </p>
<p>Trei despaired that the magic chose a mushroom instead of holly or moss. Then they remembered that their affinity and affection for mushrooms may have overpowered any other aspect of the magic. </p>
<p>Trei walked outside the mushroom ring twice, then stepped into the ring with their outside foot crossing the foot next to the ring. The ring was empty.</p>
<p>***</p><h4>Mushroom Faerie Circle, outside of the Humali Republic, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</h4><p>Trei appeared in an old ring of theirs. The ring was much smaller than the ring in Whimhallow Grove. The grove that used to surround this ring disappeared at the beginning of the Fifth Era. The Humali Republic kept expanding with people. People were destroying forests. They didn’t touch the rings. </p>
<p>Trei looked up from the inspection of their old ring. The mushrooms looked healthy and the ring was intact. They shuddered at the thought of what might have happened to them if the ring hadn’t been intact. </p>
<p>The forest that had once surrounded this ring was sparse. Trei walked around the inside of the ring. They could see dwellings of people not 20 meters from their circle. </p>
<p>‘Maybe I need to inspect all my mushrooms after I return this.’</p>
<p>***</p><h4>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 58 E.E. DR</h4><p>“They were there when I last checked the bag,” he stammered out, looking everywhere but at the two women. </p>
<p>“Then where are they?” The younger woman growled at him, advancing on him. </p>
<p>He saw that she was beginning to finger her holstered hot pink buck knife again. He gulped.</p>
<p>***</p><h4>Westwood Way, Tierra, Poscom System, early 827 Fi.E.</h4><p>Inani watched the news in horror. ‘What was happening on Qwayla?’</p>
<p>***</p><h4>The Council of Nine Private Chambers, Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, 16th day of Niw, 10,166 E.N.</h4><p>One of the nine members cleared their throat. A second brought the emergency gathering to order.</p>
<p>“Why are we here?” An impatient deep voice sounded from a seat closest to the chamber door. </p>
<p>The council of nine were seated at a round table. The private chambers for The Nine had them seated where there was no head and all were equal in this chamber. The public chambers had them in a row and the most important members were seated most left in that row. </p>
<p>“Patience Kyle. Not everyone is fully seated. When you are ready, light the green light in front of you. When all lights are green, you may proceed, Representative Qorakee,” announced a person with deep purple hair and light violet eyes. </p>
<p>A few moments later a short woman stood up and began to speak. </p>
<p>“As you all know, my cousin, may he be in with the Qwa Trees, reported the darkening of the Qwa Trees a year ago. What you don’t know is that less than three months later, he died a slow agonizing death. No doctors or healers know what caused his sickness. They don’t know exactly what he died of either. His heart could’ve stopped beating, his lungs could’ve stopped working, or his brain just stopped. We don’t know. </p>
<p>“They found masses growing all over the inside of his body. He had several open wounds at his death. What makes this most disturbing is that my cousin’s death was the first of this on Macaonit. It was the tenth on Qwayla.”</p>
<p>There was a stunned silence throughout the chambers.</p>
<p>Someone became brave enough to ask, “What does this mean for Qwayla?”</p>
<p>No one was brave enough to verbally give the answer: plague. </p>
<p>***</p><h4>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 58 E.E. DR</h4><p>Through his legitimate fear, the man thought. He thought of the schedules for checking the duffle bag that made a permanent residence in the home he and his wife shared. The duffle traveled everywhere with them, as too did their protegé. (They traveled once by accident when she wasn’t with them. She was still dragged along. She ranted about quitting the entire trip.)</p>
<p>He remembered that the last time the bag was checked was actually done by his wife. </p>
<p>“Honey, it was you that checked the bag last. Did you take them out?”</p>
<p>The older woman thought about it. And blanched. Her hand went to her mouth and she turned around quickly to vomit, bending over to prevent too much splash. </p>
<p>The younger woman and the man both wrinkled their noses at the vomit. They also expressed concern if she was sick. </p>
<p>The older woman stood up and shook her head. </p>
<p>The younger woman had a realization. She narrowed her eyes at her mentor and asked a very important question. “Are you pregnant?”</p>
<p>***</p><h4>Outside The Council of Nine Private Chambers, Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, 9th day of Nine, 10,166 E.N.</h4><p>‘It seemed fitting to do this today,’ Frank thought. Absentmindedly, scratching at a sore on his arm. ‘The Nine have been stuck in their private chambers for over two months now with no announcements, with no new messages about why people are dying.’ </p>
<p>“Nagremu The Nine!” Frank shouted, causing the rest of those waiting with him to pick up the cry. He pumped his fist and the group rushed at the doors to the private chambers. </p>
<p>“Nagremu The Nine!” rung out hours later after the rubble had somewhat settled. The Nine were gone. And with the annihilation of The Nine, the exodus of Qwayla began.</p>
<p>***</p><h4>Somewhere in the Frozen Hills, Glacia Minu, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</h4><p>Foggy breaths formed trails behind her as Rhîwgwaewen ran as hard and fast as she could through the Frozen Hills, using her magic to create temporary ice bridges between peaks as often as she could to speed her travel. She was in her element, and she was grateful for it. The last time she tranced it wasn’t memories that plagued her. It was visions. She was sure of it, and she felt an incredibly fierce need to go to Iâring. </p>
<p>At first the visions had made little sense. There were images of faerie circles all made of mushrooms, some okay, but most dying of some kind of corruption. One small mushroom faerie - the keeper of the circles, Rhîwgwaewen presumed - had eyes filled with loss and anger as they knelt in the center of one of the destroyed circles. </p>
<p>These images had given way to a girl standing by what appeared to be ruins of an old manor holding a book. Only a moment after she came into view, her figure blurred and was replaced by swirling masses of images of the same girl using all sorts of strange magic - fixing a chandelier here, affixing one beam to another there, even gently weaving a flower crown. Her magic was highly flexible in ways Rhîwgwaewen could never hope her magic to be.</p>
<p>Then the vision changed. It was dark and cold, colder than even her coldest memory. A flash of light, a burst of flame, and she felt hot, then the darkness receded and her trance broke.</p>
<p>Somehow, she knew she would eventually meet those two - the mushroom faerie and the girl with strange magic, but she had to do something first.  </p>
<p>Iâring. </p>
<p>It was far away from here and she had never been there, but somehow she knew exactly where to go, and she knew it was where she needed to go. It would take a while to get there, though. At least a moon would likely pass before she made it there.</p>
<p>***</p><h4>Destroyed Mushroom Faerie Circle, Middle of Nowhere, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</h4><p>Trei wasn’t sure which emotion was stronger right now. The only two mushroom faerie circles they had grown and tended with care that had survived to now were the circles in Whimwallow and outside of the Humali Republic. Loss. That was strong. Anger. That was strong too. </p>
<p>The majority of the mushroom faerie circles that had been destroyed were destroyed by some sort of negative energy. It had poisoned the mushrooms and killed them, slowly and painfully. It was unforgivable. Whatever caused the negative energy would pay. First, though, Trei would go back to the other circles, Whimwallow first, then the one outside the Humali Republic, and place an extra protective barrier.</p>
<p>***</p><h4>The Clawed Healer, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fo.E.</h4><p>Jule wasn’t sure whether to answer or not. The Expeditioners...if these two were not sympathetic then they may have just put everyone in danger.</p>
<p>Panic kept rising higher, the fear of the guards, the fear of these two turning them over, the fear of everyone being in danger. Jule tried to calm down, but the panic kept rising in waves, and they felt themselves beginning to lose control of their form. </p>
<p>That made them panic even more. </p>
<p>Only the Expeditioners knew they were a shapechanger. It was dangerous to let others find out, but Jule hadn’t settled yet - they hadn’t chosen a base form yet, and that meant if their emotions were too unstable it was possible for their form to become unstable too.</p>
<p>They tried to suppress the change, but it wouldn’t stop. They felt the familiar painful twinges as their body started rearranging itself. They must have still been injured because it felt more painful than usual, although that could also have been from the panic. </p>
<p>***</p><h4>Mountains somewhere in Dootenya, Poscom System, 1712 Fo.E.</h4><p>Malug Ullu Rusur felt it. There was a heartbeat nearby, but it was slow, too slow. He closed his eyes and let the world fall away as he concentrated on the heartbeat. It was an elfling. She was buried in the snow. Cold. She wouldn’t last much longer.</p>
<p>Opening his eyes abruptly, Malug Ullu Rusur rushed into motion, using his affinity to fire to clear the snow that buried the elfling. He would not stand by and let a soul be lost when he could save it. </p>
<p>It took only moments, but those moments might be too long for the elfling. He knelt beside her nearly frozen form, reaching his hand to her small frame, intending to warm her. The moment his hand connected, though, he realized warming her blood would not be enough. She was too cold. Not for the first time, Malug Ullu Rusur wished he was not the last of the Guardians. If there were others, if there were one with affinity for healing…</p>
<p>No. He couldn’t focus on that. She didn’t have time for him to think of the past. He needed a solution, and he needed one now.</p>
<p>As his thoughts swirled, the elfling’s memories began flowing into him - a sign she was almost gone. The memories flashed in an instant, and despair built in Malug Ullu Rusur’s heart as he saw the beauty of her soul and the kindness she shared despite receiving so little in return. Her brief life could not end like this.</p>
<p>Malug Ullu Rusur reached inside himself and grasped a piece of his soul, a small one, but enough. As quickly as he could, he willed this piece of dragon-soul to bind to hers. There had to still be a spark of life for this to work.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>L: “So it’s Hollywood.”<br/>S: “Uh huh.”</p>
<p>C: “I messed with that purposefully later.”</p>
<p>L: “A lesson learned in November” - referencing the rule about duffle bags<br/>A brief debate ensued about which month this should be: October or November. The consensus is that it should be October… we think.</p>
<p>L: comments about the hilarity of the numbering system for the rules and that she loves it.</p>
<p>L: “This was written in response to C: having one of the Guardians almost let a couple characters die.” - small debate about why this occurred…</p>
<p>S: “Part of your revenge on me.” /glares/<br/>L: /innocent look/ “Hm?”</p>
<p>While reading rule 5: S: glared the entire time</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Story Comments:</p>
<p>The holstered hot pink buck knife makes all of the writers giggle.</p>
<p>“I blame you both for coming up with plague in the middle of a pandemic!”</p>
<p>S: “We married them in November. I gave them a baby in December.”<br/>L: “I blessed them.”<br/>C: “I [redacted] in [redacted].”</p>
<p>Points at C. “Makes a new idiomatic expression*, writes a rule about it.”<br/>Points at S. “Makes an idiomatic expression, neither writes a rule or gives context [how it came to be] about it in the section.” (*not original term used)<br/>L: “What does it even mean?”<br/>Sheepishly, S: “Down.”<br/>C to S: “You were playing with Google Translate again weren’t you?”<br/>S: “Yes.”<br/>L: “And how many languages was that?”<br/>S: “Two.”</p>
<p>“Your use of colons!”</p>
<p>“Can I read Winter instead of Rhîwgwaewen?” Writer of Rhîwgwaewen asks.</p>
<p>Pretty much any time Trei or faerie circles are mentioned, S glares vehemently at L.</p>
<p>“That will be a rule for [redacted] that we can’t talk about or” /pauses and all look to camera which is recording/ “I think I may have to scrub camera footage." [Note on this-we have a rule that we need to record ourselves hanging out and/or reading these aloud. We reference back to the video for accurate quotes.]</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. 15-17 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rules 47-48, because they were written on the 16th.</p><p>17,120</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 47</strong>: Hope is the name of a deity.</p><p><strong>Rule 48</strong>: The deity called Hope was, for a period of time, not in this dimension. Part of Hope’s gift is that Hope can split her essence even while still alive and put it inside of other beings. Doing so allows her to grant a portion of her power to those beings or for her to rest and regain her strength when she would ordinarily cease to exist (thus, Hope always exists).</p><p>I, Calenlas, plead not guilty to the charge of not writing today by reason of mental exhaustion caused by finals.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>In reference to the rule written on Dec 16 for Dec 15 C: I did this because I could.<br/>S: Yeah, I figured.</p><p>S: This rule means nothing. </p><p>S: “You literally just wrote that to qualify two previous rules.”<br/>C: “Yes.”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. 18 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rules 49-51</p>
<p>352<br/>17,372</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 49</strong>: Dev came of age and learned of their true nature in 57 Si.E. and began traveling while coming to terms with this revelation. By 58 Si.E. Dev reached the second solar system.</p>
<p><strong>Rule 50</strong>: Flying magic requires the use of fire magic. (Credit to Coworkers for Inspiration)</p>
<p><strong>Rule 51</strong>: The flesh of a Silv tree just below the outer bark is edible when cooked over the fire. It has a texture like jerky and has a woody flavor that is somewhere between savory and sweet.</p><h4>In a forest clearing close to the western border of Vintelium, early 1245 S.E.</h4><p>Rune opened her eyes slowly, surprised that she didn’t feel nearly so cold or tired as she had for some time now. In fact, she felt warmth like that of a fire. She sat up, looking around rapidly as she realized there was, in fact, a campfire, and she and Percival - thank goodness Percival was here too - were in some sort of clearing in the snow in the forest and there was a man - an elf? - with golden eyes and an air about him that was at once powerful and serene tending to the fire.</p>
<p>“You are awake.” The man smiled to them. He pulled something out of the fire and offered it to Rune and then to Percival who had cautiously come to sit beside her. “Silv flesh.” He stated as Rune and Percival took what he offered with perplexed looks.</p>
<p>“Like the tree?” Percival asked.</p>
<p>The man nodded. “Yes. The flesh just below the outer bark is edible when cooked over the fire.” He took a piece himself and began to eat.</p>
<p>Rune hesitantly took a bite, not sure what she should expect from a tree’s flesh. She was surprised by the somewhat chewy texture like cured meat which combined with a woodsy flavor underscored by a savory sweetness. It was much better than she had expected, and quite welcome after days of only melted snow.</p>
<p>After a few minutes during which she and Percival greedily ate the Silv flesh, Rune glanced at the man who now sat calmly leaning against a tree watching them almost like a guardian watches a young child during a family outing.</p>
<p>“You,” Rune began, then paused. “Thank you. For saving us.”</p>
<p>A look crossed the man’s face that was hard to read, and if she were not mistaken there was a hint of guilt in his countenance - though for what reason she could not say.</p>
<p>After a moment of silence, the man finally spoke. “You may call me Aman.”</p>
<p>“I am Rune Oreol, and this is my brother, Percival.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>L: “By the way, I didn’t want to look up the rule that said which tree this was when I referenced it later, so I just said there was a tree.”<br/>C: “I wondered why the name of the tree wasn’t there.”</p>
<p>Story Comments:</p>
<p>“Yes, he is a man. Sort of…”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. 19 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I, Sinsrfun10, plead not guilty to not writing today by dealing with malfunctioning Christmas lights.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. 20 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I, Sinsrfun10, plead not guilty to not writing today by being told that I was exposed to the plague (aka Covid).</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. 21 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rules 52-54</p>
<p>259<br/>17,631</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 52</strong>: Time is mutable. Calendars are not.</p>
<p><strong>Rule 53</strong>: Dogs are the best friend a magic-user can hope for, a shifter is better, but only due to the ability to mutually communicate.</p>
<p><strong>Rule 54</strong>: Qwaylans were not welcome in the Poscom System after the plague hit.</p>
<p> </p><h4>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 58 E.E. DR</h4>
<p>Emilia was stunned and horrified by Samantha’s question. It was the same realization that she had come to right before she vomited, so it wasn’t too bad. She looked at her wonderful husband of three years and many adventures and began to giggle at the look on his face. </p>
<p>Samantha looked concerned at her giggling so she pointed at Greg.</p>
<p>Samantha turned to look at him. She began to giggle too until she remembered the reason why they now knew Emilia was pregnant. </p>
<p>“Did you know that you were pregnant before this go around? Is that why you took the tampons out?” </p>
<p>Emilia thought about this question as she always did - in list form.</p><ol>
<li>No, she didn’t know she was pregnant</li>
<li>She was not the last one to check the bag’s checklist</li>
<li>She was switching to a cup</li>
<li>She forgot to tell Samantha about the switch</li>
</ol>
<p>*** </p><h4>Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, 10th day of Nine, 10,166 E.N.</h4><p>Frank looked at the sores that laid next to the scars he gained by his revolutionary cry of destroying The Nine. He looked around him. </p>
<p>The shipyard was packed with people trying to leave Qwayla. Many were afraid of what would happen without the oxygen that the Qwa Trees provide to the atmosphere. Frank was more afraid of the documents he found using his sperm donor’s illegal access to the files of The Nine. </p>
<p>Frank found out about the plague. He looked at his arms. He thought he had it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>First rule: /laughter/</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Story Comments:</p>
<p>[Redacted] discussion about time</p>
<p>[Redacted] “We can’t talk about this!”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. 22 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rule 55</p>
<p>231<br/>17,862</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 55</strong>: Resurrection magic is considered a form of taboo magic in most cultures because the only magic that brings people back from the dead turns them into puppets of the reviver, zombies, or some other form of mindless revenant.</p><h4>Hidden Lair, Undisclosed Location, Dootenya, Late 5502 F.E.</h4><p>Evil laughter filled the air as a knife dug deep into Sorser’s heart. His dearest friend had betrayed him in the worst possible way. Sorser fell to the ground, pain thrumming in his chest as blood pooled beneath him. The world grew dimmer and colder by the second until there was nothing but the faintest echo of that dark laughter.</p>
<p>Moments after Sorser’s heart beat its last, a man in dark robes clanged his staff on the ground as he began to chant in an ancient tongue - old even in the first era, an era he would bring to an end as he began the era that would remember him.</p>
<p>The blood pooling around Sorser’s body began to glow with magic and flow into a pentagram inside a circle with an all-seeing eye in the center. Poor wretch. He actually had liked Sorser. The man was smart and offered wonderful insights into innovative uses of magic. He would miss that, but the vast, untapped pools of mana inside Sorser’s body were worth the sacrifice.</p>
<p>As the last line of the magic circle filled in, the blood raised off the ground and swirled into a spiral before diving toward Sorser’s cold body. Moments later, Sorser began to stir.</p>
<p>Well, not Sorser, really. Not anymore. Now it was merely a vessel, a walking mana source.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>L: “I may have been reading a manga.”<br/>S: “...just like my dog rule wasn’t because I was dog-sitting at all.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Story Comments:</p>
<p>There was supposed to be a comment here. We all forgot what it was.</p>
<p>“I didn’t mean to kill him!”<br/>“Your first sentence kills him!”<br/>“So you didn’t mean to kill him?”<br/>“Sort of?”<br/>“First sentence.”</p>
<p>“At this moment, I had no idea what I was doing?”</p>
<p>“He could have been some nonsense necromancer.”<br/>“I couldn’t do that to Sorser.” with tears in eyes</p>
<p>“I blame the manga.”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. 23 Decmeber 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rules 56-57</p>
<p>1,648 <br/>19,500</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 56</strong>: There is a race of people known as Magis. The men of this race are warlocks and the women are witches. Occasionally, a ‘True Magi’ is born - one who is neither man nor woman and exhibits the powers of both. Warlocks are born with the ability to ‘pact’ to a spirit (their term for deities) and, in exchange for fulfilling a condition given by the spirit, they gain a portion of the spirit’s power (the deity’s gift). Witches are born with the ability to manipulate one (and only one) of the five elements: wind, water, earth, fire, and light. The degree of a Magi’s power varies. For Warlocks, it depends entirely upon the pact - how strong the spirit they are bound to is, and how much of the spirit’s power is shared (usually more power requires a bigger condition). For Witches, it depends on how much they immerse themselves in their element (a water-attribute Witch who spends a lot of time swimming, and drinks plenty of water would, for instance, likely be stronger than one who lives in a desert and prefers to drink ale).</p>
<p><strong>Rule 57</strong>: Every planet and landmass has a Core. If this Core is destroyed, so is the planet/landmass. A deity can absorb the power of a Core, but doing so destroys both the planet/landmass and the deity, though not all deities know this. It would take a blessing from The Voice for a deity to be able to safely absorb the power of a Core - such a thing has only happened once in all of history when, during the Pre Era, a deity asked the voice for permission to absorb the Core of a small landmass in the First Solar System in order to prevent the landmass from destroying one of the other planets which it was hurtling toward. After absorbing the Core of the landmass, the deity’s nature was changed. Formerly, it was the Deity of the Heavenly Lights, but after absorbing the Core of the landmass, it became the force of Gravity. The Core of each planet is a secret known only to The Voice, the Guardians, and certain Deities. The Peoples of the world do not know of the existence of the Cores (with the exception of a few Warlocks and True Magis whose pacts relate to the Core - though these are few, especially after the Great Catastrophe). There is only one other exception: Aman wrote about the Core Oak in the book that he gave to Mana, though he only said it was “related to the life of Dootenya” and “a great source of power which, if used, would destroy its wielder and the planet.”</p>
<ul>
  <li>Dootenya’s Core is the Core Oak which, after the Great Catastrophe, was covered by a giant sand dune in the center of what became known as Spiritheum Dunes (prior to this, it was simply the central tree in Girinel Forest). The only remaining entities who know about the Core Oak are Aman, Malug Ullu Rusur, and The Voice.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Girinel Forest, Dootenya, 5503 F.E.</h4>
<p>Aman rushed toward the dark mana pool which was at the heart of the forest. He knew he could stop it. He knew he had the power to do so.</p>
<p>There, in the heart of the forest, was the form of a man - no, he was a man no longer. A Warlock pacted to Daemoran - the deity of darkness - had killed the man about a month ago in a ritual meant to heighten Daemoran’s power. Aman cursed himself for thinking of the vessel as a man even for a moment - it would make what came next much too hard - and he could not hesitate in this.</p>
<p>Singing the grandest form of his song possible, Aman lunged for the vessel just as it reached for the Core Oak (a tree at the heart of Girinel Forest which held the life-force of Dootenya). A golden light sprang from Aman’s hand and arched like lightning toward the vessel, shocking it to stillness just long enough for Aman to plunge his hand into the vessel’s chest and reach for the link which was in the vessel’s still heart. He squeezed the heart until it burst, trying not to think of the vessel as a human as he did so.</p>
<p>“It is over.” Aman stated as the vessel fell to the ground.</p>
<p>But it wasn’t.</p>
<p>The dark mana pool which had been stored within the vessel exploded, and Aman barely had time to sing a barrier around the Core Oak to protect it from infection. Unfortunately, this left Aman himself exposed, and the dark mana swirled about him, launching into his chest and out the other side of his body, pulling with it a portion of Aman’s essence.</p>
<p>Evil laughter greeted Aman’s ears as he realized with horror the mistake he had made. The Core Oak was the life-force of Dootenya - a world’s power. It was a link, yes, and powerful. But a deity who absorbed the life-force of a planet would destroy the planet and itself in the process, maybe managing to do one grand thing first - likely an attack. A deity who absorbed another deity’s essence could become something more.</p>
<p>This was a trap.</p>
<p>Daemoran took on a terrifying form, coalescing the darkness, dark mana, and the portion of Aman’s essence that was already pulled from him into one horrible dark being. A scream from the forest nearby alerted Aman to the presence of the Warlock who had begun this ritual. Aman felt pity for him in that moment: he had been tricked too. Daemoran absorbed the Warlock and continued to pull on Aman’s essence. A pillar of dark energy rose up to the heavens, exploding outward and destroying the entire forest of Girinel - except for the Core Oak which was, thankfully, protected still by Aman’s song.</p>
<p>Aman’s heart clenched. This forest was home to many: plants, animals, Peoples (particularly elves, though other Peoples dwelled here as well). And they were all, surely, gone.</p>
<p>This could not go on.</p>
<p>It was Aman’s mistake which allowed this to happen. He would fix it. Though, his power was not enough to outright destroy Daemoran, he could banish the Great Evil that the deity had become if he used all of his remaining power. Aman sang with all his remaining strength and cast Daemoran out of Dootenya and into the Poscom system, directing the Great Evil toward the uninhabited planet Nullerne.</p>
<p>Even from here, Aman could feel the impact - perhaps because a portion of his essence was within Daemoran’s new form. The Great Evil impacted Nullerne with such force that the planet was destroyed, and the Great Evil splintered, though it was not destroyed. Aman knew that these splinters would eventually coalesce once again and the Great Evil would return, so he used a final note of his song to send out a message to strong mana users, warning them that a Great Evil would come again one day, though whether the message reached them or not, Aman did not know, for he sank into a deep sleep against the Core Oak even as some of the splinters of the Great Evil shot off throughout the three solar systems and even as the remaining shards of the Girinel forest became sand and fell all about him.</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>A Voice Echoing in the Great Vastness, 5503 F.E.</h4>
<p>Perhaps it was so that the Core Oak would be protected in the end, that a planet so full of life like Dootenya would not be destroyed - or perhaps it was to cover Aman while he slept - or perhaps it was simply chance that led a large portion of the sand to form a dune over Aman and the Core Oak. Whatever the reason, this dune would remain untouched throughout the Great Destruction which ensued as a result of the splintering of the Great Evil and for many long years after until the time when Aman would awaken again.</p>
<p>As for the rest of the worlds, they would undergo a great reshaping, caused by the splinters of the Great Evil - this Great Destruction would, ironically, be brought to an end by Daemoran’s will pulling the splinters back to itself. Thus, rather than the sign of peace many took the end of the Great Destruction to mean, it was a foreboding of the Great Evil’s return.</p>
<p>Of course, even a deity cannot escape unscathed when it is so utterly shattered as Daemoran was, and the Deity of Darkness is no more a true consciousness. Rather, Daemoran’s will remains - an evil intent holding together a great mass of dark power. Thus, though it is the same Great Evil which will plague the worlds again and again until it is at last destroyed in a time yet unknown, its form may change in each iteration.</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Westwood Way, Tierra, Poscom System, 829 Fi.E.</h4>
<p>Inani prayed that the performance wouldn’t be canceled this time. Yes, the world was currently facing a third great reshaping and an expanding, destructive darkness, and yes, there were natural disasters occuring every other day; however, this was Inani’s way of life.</p>
<p>“Show’s cancelled.” The manager stuck his head backstage. “There’s an evacuation order to the WestCo Safehouse.”</p>
<p>Inani sighed and followed the rest of the cast toward the exit. This was not a good time to be an actor. Even on good days, only a few people actually came to performances or the show was stopped halfway through. And the actors were being paid a commission based on how many tickets were sold. </p>
<p>Inani hadn’t had a decent paycheck in over a year.</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>The Clawed Healer, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fo.E.</h4>
<p>“Um, weren’t you a half-horse shifter?” Taylor questioned, holding a horseshoe in their hand that they had previously been fiddling with, making minute adjustments to best fit the hoof it was meant for.</p>
<p>The half-shifter - if that’s really what the injured party was - suddenly started screaming in pain and then began to - well, the only real word for it was change. Gone were the horse-like features attached to a human form. In fact, the only thing that remained the same about the features was a vaguely humanoid shape that was holding together swirling wind and crackling lightning. Then, after a moment, the form changed again to a burly dwarf with frizzy red hair and a long beard. But that wasn’t the last of it either. No, next was a highly effeminate elf with long, silky, silver locks and fair skin, tall and thin, and entirely opposite to the dwarf. And again the form changed to a very short human (perhaps three feet tall) with ears that seemed just barely pointed, a head of curly brown hair, large brown eyes, and big feet. A halfling, probably.</p>
<p>Adrian smacked the patient unceremoniously over the head with a clawed fist. “You done changing yet?” They questioned.</p>
<p>Taylor just stared. This hardly seemed possible. There was only one time Taylor had heard of a People like this - and that was in a legend: shapechangers. Probably on account of their supposedly mythical ability to take on any shape they chose, shapechangers were often depicted as con artists and tricksters in old stories. They were usually considered bad, though Taylor’s favorite story involving shapechangers was a novel called <em>The Hero of a Thousand and One Faces</em> by Cam Bell ju Sephre following a shapechanger who was raised as a spy and used these skills to infiltrate an evil tyrant’s inner circle to take down the bad guys from within.</p>
<p>The shapechanger - Taylor was certain, despite believing until this moment they were just a legend, that this person had to be one - changed one final time, settling for the moment in a tall, slender but muscular feminine form with deep, forest green skin, vibrant violet hair, and lavender eyes - likely the form of an elglin.</p>
<p>“I” the shapechanger looked cautiously from Adrian to Taylor and back. “I haven’t settled on a form yet, so I sometimes change when I get emotional.” The shapechanger trailed off on the last few words, but what caught Taylor’s attention was the pain that laced every word as if they had just been through some great ordeal that left their body in tatters.</p>
<p>Well, Taylor supposed, that was true. It had just been a few hours ago that Adrian had dragged them over because the shapechanger was so heavily wounded that literal pools of blood were forming in the Clawed Healer. Taylor looked at Adrian who shook their head. This wasn’t from the shapechanger’s injuries. Not directly anyway.</p>
<p>“Okay.” Adrian spoke, still with a demanding tone, though Taylor knew from experience that there was no malice or anger in it - not that it would sound that way to a stranger. “Let’s leave aside what the Expeditioners are for just a moment. What’s your name?”</p>
<p>“Jule.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>S: “You gave a whole bunch of backstory that means little.”<br/>C: “Yep.” after a pause “It was going to mean more. I ran out of month.”</p>
<p>Story Comments:</p>
<p>C: pointing to S: “She’s the one who said a planet disappeared.” /pause/ “I’m the one who blew it up.”</p>
<p>Dramatically, L: “The eye of the storm!”<br/>/blinking eyes in response/</p>
<p>“Yes, that’s Legolas and Gimli.”<br/>A moment later “Did you literally just do Frodo?”<br/>“Yes.”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. 24 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rule 58</p>
<p>382<br/>19,892</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 58</strong>: After Qwayla’s isolation, Tierra and Dootenya wrote an agreement called the Agreement of Isolation of 1 S.E. The central governing body of Tierra and the Humali Empire signed the agreement shortly after the Empire was established.</p>
<h4>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 58 E.E. DR</h4>
<p>Samantha sighed at Emilia’s spoken aloud list-making. (Samantha had been given leave to use their names after the post-marriage ceremony traveling incident. It was easier to be Emilia, Greg, and Samantha than two married professors and their student.) Samantha looked over at Greg. </p>
<p>“I’m godmother right?”</p>
<p>Greg just nodded, still in shock that his wife was pregnant. </p>
<p>Samantha turned her thoughts from her future duties as godmother, like teaching how to survive in the woods and other life necessities, to why they were transported to this particular place.</p>
<p>Samantha looked at Greg and then back at Emilia. She sighed again. ‘I don’t know how we are going to move beyond this revelation. And I’m due next week. I don’t know what I’m going to do about that. Hopefully, this stress delays it… again.’</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, 20th day of Yal, 10,167 E.N.</h4>
<p>Frank was surprised that he lasted this long. His sores turned into scars. He watched the continuing evacuation with dread. With each day the population on Qwayla shrank. But he knew from hacked footage from Tierra that the other planets in the Poscom System weren’t letting evacuees from Qwayla on the planet. </p>
<p>The plague was officially discovered on Tierra with their mandatory scans of people on the migratory flights. Tierra notified Dootenya because of the Agreement of Isolation of 1 S.E.</p>
<p>Frank knew that leaving Qwayla was a risk, but staying on Qwayla was also a risk. He knew about the Qwa Tree Explosions and the declining state of the breathable air. </p>
<p>Frank sat in his acquired place of living, surrounded by the stolen information. He put his head in his hands, his body shook with the force of his emotions. His hands were dripping when he finally stopped shaking.</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Tierra, Poscom System, 827 Fi.E.</h4>
<p>Breaking News: The cities of Moose and Denver are under lockdown after accepting Qwaylan refugees. This happened after many residents and refugees reported alarming symptoms. These symptoms are open sores, difficulty breathing, and sudden chills. If you feel any of these symptoms please call medical professionals and isolate yourself. The death toll in Moose due to this sickness is at seven people with more than 60 still suffering symptoms.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>“You realize that sounds like your talking about Colorado, right?”<br/>“I was looking at two dogs when I wrote this. Naming things after the dogs.”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. 25 December 2020 - Christmas Stories!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This is the Christmas chapter. There are several stories based around Christmas and Yule in this particular world. Please try not to laugh when you read various stories that are native to this realm. [My reaction is in the endnotes.]</p>
<p>Rules 59 &amp; 60<br/>3,244 <br/>23,136</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 59</strong>: Christmas is celebrated on Tierra.</p>
<p><strong>Rule 60</strong>: While they don’t know it yet, Malug Ullu Rusur blessed Em, Greg, and Samantha as Guardian Disciples before leaving to find additional disciples because he recognized that the deity Hope had separated her essence among the three of them. This granted them immortality like it did for Mana.</p>
<h4>Westwood Way, Tierra, Poscom System, Christmas Eve, 826 Fi.E.</h4>
<p>Inani was beyond excited. This would be their first Christmas. It was a holiday that had started on Tierra and as far as Inani knew, only Tierran’s celebrated it. Their first exposure to the holiday was when they were asked to play the Grumbler in <em>The Grumbler Who Stole Christmas</em>. A young elf girl and daughter of the local postmaster named Cyndei Luhuer had to melt the frozen heart of the Grumbler who wanted to bring an end to Christmas in Luhuerville because of his negative past history in the village that led to his hatred of Christmas. It was both a touching and hilarious story.</p>
<p>After that play, Inani had played Charlie Scrudge in <em>A Christmas Tale</em>. Charlie was a mean woman who refused to give her employees a break on Christmas and didn’t even pay them extra for working through the holiday. She was visited by three revenants who changed her perspective on Christmas, and in the end, she not only gave her employees a holiday and a Christmas bonus but also gave gifts to everyone in the village and provided a consistent donation to the local orphanage forever after. </p>
<p>Inani’s favorite Christmas play, though, was <em>Grendelf the Green-Nosed Deer Shifter</em>. Grendelf was different than any other deer shifter with a nose that shown bright green in deer form and others teased Grendelf because of this, but when the dense fog created by an evil wizard trying to sabotage Christmas threatened to make it impossible for Saint Claudius, the polar bear shifter who delivered presents to all the good little boys and girls, to make his Christmas journey, it was Grendelf’s bright green nose that saved the eve. Inani had only had a minor part in that play as the evil wizard (he only appeared three times for a few minutes), but they hadn’t minded as it meant they were able to enjoy watching the rest of the play.</p>
<p>Getting into the Christmas spirit was easy with so many people around Inani also excited for the holiday. They had even been invited to a few Christmas parties by some of their newest friends and castmates. Inani had gone shopping to find the perfect gifts for a couple of special friends they intended to invite over on Christmas day (none of them had family to celebrate with, so Inani volunteered to host a small gathering at their place). In the end, Inani decided to make the gifts and cards by hand and bought what they would need to make and wrap them. Christmas was not, afterall, about expensive gifts. It was about joy, and that could be shared best with a gift that came from the heart. While Inani was a mystery to most people and liked being so, they also were a good judge of character - it came with the occupation, they thought - so they had a good idea what to give their friends.</p>
<p>In addition to the gifts, they decorated their home with festive lights, a Christmas tree with homemade ornaments (some were gifts from their fans), and candles in the windows. They baked cookies and cakes of all kinds and made sure to give the postmen little bags of Christmas goodies when they came by to deliver fanmail. The only Christmas tradition Inani didn’t understand was fruitcake. They had discovered that it was dense and disgusting when one of their castmates brought one to dress rehearsal… Inani refused to ever eat fruitcake again, and they certainly were not going to bake one and force it on other people.</p>
<p>At any rate, all their preparations were ready now, so Inani threw on the jolly clothes they had prepared and locked up their home to join the local carolers as they sang cheerful songs throughout Westwood Way.</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Westwood Way, Tierra, Poscom System, Christmas Eve, 829 Fi.E.</h4>
<p>This Christmas would be very different than Inani’s first Christmas. They had been in the WestCo Safehouse for a month and a half already. There was no cheer here, no spirit. Everyone’s faces were downtrodden, and people worried about how much longer the supplies here would last. The noises from outside were only growing worse.</p>
<p>Inani wondered if they would ever get the chance to perform again. They had come here with a dream to be the best actor. They lived and breathed the theatre, but the theatre couldn’t save them right now. If something didn’t change soon, Inani and every other person here would not survive. </p>
<p>“Do you think Saint Claudius can find us in here, Momma?” a young Tierran, probably around five years old, broke the palpable silence. Inani’s heart ached to hear her question. </p>
<p>Then Inani remembered something. The stage crew had brought some of the costumes and props with them when everyone evacuated to the WestCo Safehouse, and they had seen some sewing supplies laying around too. And there was an old coat rack…</p>
<p>A couple hours later, as the clock was drawing close to midnight, Inani gave the performance of their life. A coat rack with some extra wire hangers, some green material, a star-shaped prop and some small balls of colored cloth served as a Christmas tree. Candles were lit all around to provide light, and Saint Claudius came ambling in with a hearty laugh and a sack - probably from one of last year’s Christmas performances - full of hand-crafted toys for all boys and girls, from the youngest who was barely a year old to the eldest who had just reached ninety-nine a month ago. </p>
<p>Christmas was about sharing joy, and Inani was going to do just that.</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 58 E.E. DR</h4>
<p>It had been a little over three months since Em, Samantha, and Greg had found themselves in this AD adventure, and Em had started showing. Thankfully, they had found a safe space for shelter and a regular food source, even if they were living off the land. Samantha had even helped him build a small log cabin - apparently she did some research on how settlers built these in the past “just in case” and made sure to pack an axe with some sort of safety cap on the blade. The log cabin wasn’t very big, but they had managed to make it tall enough for a loft where Samantha could sleep.</p>
<p>Technically, they all should have been sleeping in the loft, but considering that Em was pregnant, they all decided it was safer for her to sleep on the ground, and Greg didn’t like the idea of sleeping separately.</p>
<p>They still had to cook outside, so they had established a fire pit. They had also set up a small target for archery practice. They had all decided to learn some defense techniques and other useful skills, and Em had chosen archery since, as she told Greg, it could double as a way to hunt for food. He meanwhile had chosen fencing since a friend of his was in the Salle Honolulu Fencing Club. Samantha had chosen martial arts. If she had seemed like a ninja before, Greg was even more convinced that she was one now.</p>
<p>At any rate, while Em still occasionally shot her bow, she mostly instructed Samantha and Greg while they practiced. They all agreed that while a couple practice shots were okay as long as she was careful not to overstress her body and made sure to take breaks, Em should not be their primary hunter. Both Samantha and Greg had given hunting with the bow a shot, but neither of them were particularly good with the bow. They relied more heavily on the hunting traps Samantha made, what they could fish out of the nearby river, and what they could forage. </p>
<p>It had been helpful when a wandering man - at least Greg thought he was a man - with deep obsidian black horns that seemed alive with writhing flames and lines of pure blue water droplets encircling them on his head, and a strange mark on his left arm and who carried a katana on his waist and introduced himself as Malug Ullu Rusur had happened to pass by and stopped to help build the, at the time not yet finished, log cabin and teach them about local flora and fauna. One food source was the flesh of a particular tree just below the bark, and it grew back quickly, ready to be harvested again the next day even in the dead of winter. Malug had also told them that there were no other inhabitants near this place, and he had left not long after the cabin was built saying something about being on a journey to find disciples. </p>
<p>About a week ago, Samantha had realized that if time was passing the same way as in their original dimension, then it would be Christmas today, so the trio had set about figuring out how to make their little cabin feel more festive. Em made some wreaths with branches Samantha brought her from some pine trees, and she made some small ornaments out of pinecones and some spare cloth. Samantha hunted through the forest until she found some mistletoe which she insisted on hanging above the doorway of the cabin, and she and Greg had found a pine tree of a decent size that they chopped down and set up out in front of the log cabin (it would likely be used as firewood after Christmas). All three of them had decorated it together.</p>
<p>On Christmas Eve, they had gathered around the fire and taken turns telling some classic Christmas stories. Samantha had started with <em>‘Twas the Night Before Christmas</em>, though Greg didn’t remember the original story having “visions of hot pink buck knives” dancing in the heads of the sleeping children. After that, Em had taken the liberty of telling <em>A Christmas Carol</em> with a few embellishments such as the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future being Greg, Samantha, and Em respectively. Scrooge was still Scrooge, though. When it was his turn, Greg had debated for a little while about what story to tell, but ultimately decided on mixing together bits and pieces of Christmas stories about Santa Clause falling in love where he was Santa, Em was the soon-to-be Mrs. Clause, and Samantha was a mutual friend.</p>
<p>Today, the three of them were again gathered around the fire. Samantha was busy cooking their breakfast of tree flesh and melted snow flavored with dried rosehips. Meanwhile, Em was leading them in Christmas carols, and Greg was retrieving the oddly wrapped presents they had tucked under the tree last night. They weren’t anything fancy, but they didn’t need to be.</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Oreol Manor, Aidil Men, Humali Kingdom, late 1229 S.E.</h4>
<p>“Asmoden, would you please move the tree about a foot to the left?” Andra asked, her sweet voice music to his ears as she rocked their infant son, Percival to sleep. As Percival was less than a year old, this would be his first Yuletide festival.</p>
<p>Asmoden nodded and did as he was instructed. He chanted a brief levitation spell to make the job easier - velin trees were quite heavy after all.</p>
<p>“Papa! Mama!” Rune came rushing into the sitting room, tiny wooden carved animals and stars floating in the air about her. “Look at my doormats!”</p>
<p>Asmoden laughed. “That’s ‘adornments,’ Rune. And I see your magic practice has paid off.” Honestly, Rune would probably be a better magician than him one day. She was only three and already capable of simple levitation and even shaping magic - as long as she was using wood or clay.</p>
<p>“What are these two?” Andra asked her daughter, leaning down to point at two of the wooden adornments with the hand that wasn’t being used to cradle Percival.</p>
<p>Rune grinned and motioned to lift the two adornments higher so it would be easier for her parents to see them. “This one is Papa and Mama. And this is me and Percy!” She pointed to each of the two adornments in turn.</p>
<p>“These are beautiful!” Andra praised her daughter, ruffling her hair with her free hand.</p>
<p>Asmoden leaned in to get a better look after his wife expressed admiration that seemed to go beyond the simple praise that is given to children for trying their best to draw a picture that only slightly resembles what it actually represents. This seemed to be truly genuine admiration. And as he looked at the adornments, he understood why. Though small, Rune had managed to shape the wood so that one looked like a man with his arms about the waist of the woman by his side while the woman kissed the man’s cheek, and the other adornment was of a small child - a girl judging by the dress - holding an infant in her arms.</p>
<p>Asmoden grabbed the adornments gingerly and took them to the tree. “These are indeed fine work.” He smiled, humming a brief spell to attach a yarn cord to each one before hanging them in what he considered the most important place on the tree next to the top - a place about halfway up the tree centered on the side facing the room’s interior. “They deserve to be in a special place.” He turned to Rune and put his hands on his hips. “Now, how about we get to work hanging the rest of them?”</p>
<p>“Yes!” Rune grinned from ear to ear and started floating adornments to her father one after another. Andra, in the meantime, lay Percival in the bassinet and made her way to the kitchen to help prepare cookies. Ordinarily, that would be the work of the servants; however, Andra liked to cook from time to time, and she made it a point of cooking the family meals on special occasions. </p>
<p>Besides, as part of their Yuletide tradition, the Oreols let their servants return to their families for the festival season. A few stayed every year for varying reasons, some because they had no family to return to, but most went. Those who stayed were told by the baron and baroness that they were to forget their ranks during the festival. For the entire week, noble and commoner alike were to eat at the same table, and each servant received a gift from the baron and baroness which was carefully thought out beforehand (even those who left received a gift when they returned).</p>
<p>Asmoden’s relatives never fully understood the tradition, but then they never understood how he could marry a common woman like Andra either. He didn’t care about rank - that wasn’t what defined a person.</p>
<p>“Mica!” Rune squealed, pulling Asmoden’s attention back to the present as his daughter lost concentration on the magic which was suspending the adornments she had been passing to him and those that weren’t on the tree or in his hands clattered to the ground.</p>
<p>He smiled as she rushed to tackle the young knight-in-training who had just come in the door in a bear hug. Michael (his name was shortened by Rune since it was too hard for her to say) was an orphan of about 15 whom Asmoden had found earlier that year in the streets of the capital defending a woman from some thugs. He was still a little uncomfortable around nobles due to some past trauma, but, Asmoden was grateful, Michael had begun to relax - especially when Rune was around.</p>
<p>“Young Miss,” Michael began, supporting Rune as she latched onto him, “I-”</p>
<p>“Rune.” </p>
<p>Asmoden grinned as Michael stared at the three-year-old girl with a confused expression.</p>
<p>“I’m Rune.” Rune repeated, as if that was meant to be an explanation.</p>
<p>“Yes,” Michael sounded flustered. “Yes, your name is Rune, Young Miss…”</p>
<p>Asmoden chuckled and decided to help the young knight in training. “She means, you should call her ‘Rune,’ not ‘Young Miss.’”</p>
<p>Michael shifted Rune a bit so her weight was centered on his left hip. “Um, but-”</p>
<p>Asmoden chuckled again. “It’s alright. I approve.” He watched as Michael visibly relaxed. “And you should call me Asmoden.” He resisted the urge to laugh as Michael tensed again as if he were being tested. “It is Yuletide after all.” Asmoden continued, pretending not to notice. “We are all equals during the festival.” He bent down to pick up an adornment that looked like a chipmunk. “Though, you can call Rune by her name even after the season passes.” He glanced at Michael as he rose to put the adornment on the tree. “So, what brought you here?”</p>
<p>Michael snapped to attention - or as close as one can while holding a child who - at the moment - was playing with his hair. “Ah, right. The Baroness-” Michael cut himself off, cleared his throat, and hesitantly corrected himself, “I mean, Andra,” he paused until Asmoden nodded his approval, “asked me to tell you that she is out of flour and has three batches of cookies to go.”</p>
<p>Asmoden nodded, deep in thought. Then an idea came to him. “Very well, then.” He pulled a small coin purse from his pocket and tossed it to Michael. Rune, noting the incoming purse and that Michael’s hands were currently occupied with - well - her, ceased playing with his hair and caught the coin purse herself. Asmoden smiled. “Michael, would you take Rune to town to purchase as much flour as Andra needs? I am occupied with the tree and Percival after all.” </p>
<p>As if on cue, his infant son awoke and began to cry softly, and Asmoden picked him up gingerly.</p>
<p>“Yay!” Rune quipped even before Michael could process the request. </p>
<p>Clearly, it was decided.</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Oreol Manor, Aidil Men, Humali Kingdom, late 1244 S.E.</h4>
<p>Andra rubbed her fingers over the two wooden figures in her hands.</p>
<p>“What are those?” Michael questioned as he came into the room carrying a small velin tree. He wished he could have brought a larger one like what Asmoden used to choose, but he could not use magic, so lifting one bigger than this would be difficult, and he didn’t have Percival’s help this year.</p>
<p>Andra looked over her shoulder as the knight strode into the room with the tree in his hands. Michael was truly a blessing to her. Not only had he remained in Oreol Manor despite the fact that she could no longer afford his wages, he had taken on several jobs in Aidil Men to help support the functioning of the manor.</p>
<p>“These are the adornments Rune made the year Percival was born.” She indicated the small box of wooden carvings in her lap. “These two,” she held up her favorite adornments, “are the most precious.”</p>
<p>Michael pulled the tree a little further into the room and leaned over to get a better look. “What are they of?”</p>
<p>“This one is me and Asmoden, and the other is Rune holding Percival.” She smiled fondly. “Even at three, she cared so much for her brother.” She looked up to Michael from her place in the rocking chair. “Do you think they are alright out there?”</p>
<p>“I know it.” Michael propped the tree against his left hip and placed a strong, comforting hand on the baroness’s shoulder. “You and Asmoden raised your children well. They are probably huddled together to celebrate the Yuletide as we speak.” He glanced at the wooden figures and reached out to touch the one of Rune and Percival. </p>
<p>“I know it.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>L: “I just realized how vague this addendum is.”</p>
<p>Story Comments:</p>
<p>L begins reading. S puts her head in her hands and shakes her head in exasperation with the horrible modifications of Christmas stories. L and C are trying not to laugh during the reading. </p>
<p>“That was adorable.”</p>
<p>“That is so heartbreaking!”<br/>“I know!”</p>
<p>“They’re all wooden, it’s fine.”</p>
<p>“You took what the Warlock did to Sorser and did it figuratively to my heart.”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. 26 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rule 61</p>
<p>1,263<br/>24,399</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 61</strong>: Dootenya celebrates Yuletide - a week-long festival that takes place during winter in the last week of the year.</p>
<h4>In a forest clearing close to the western border of Vintelium, early 1245 S.E.</h4>
<p>Rune felt Percival shift closer to her, either for comfort or to protect her. Either way, she was glad for his presence. She was certain that she would be far less confident speaking with this strange person who had saved them if she were alone.</p>
<p>“I know what you carry.” Aman said at length after Rune and Percival had eaten.</p>
<p>Rune tensed. Somehow she knew he was referring to the Great Evil inside of her. Based on Percival’s reaction of reaching for his sword, she assumed he had noticed as well.</p>
<p>Aman raised a hand in a calming gesture. “I do not mean to alarm you.” He sighed, and a look of guilt played across his face. “I mean to help you. It is my fault you are in this position.”</p>
<p>Rune and Percival exchanged glances.</p>
<p>“When you say ‘your fault,’” Percival questioned, relaxing his grip on the sword but not letting it go entirely, “what exactly do you mean?”</p>
<p>Aman stoked the fire with a nearby stick. “I mean exactly what I have said.” He looked first Rune and then Percival in the eyes. “It was my mistake which brought that evil into this world - into its current form anyway.”</p>
<p>“Its current form?” Rune had more questions than answers. </p>
<p>Her father had only told her and Percival that he had received a warning through ancient magic when he was in his youth that came to him like a note in a song one day. It had warned that a Great Evil had been unleashed and banished but would, without intervention, return to Dootenya one day. This was why her father had become a Grand Mage - it gave him access to the materials needed to look into the coming Great Evil. He had apparently finally figured out a way to prevent the return not long after Percival was born and had been trying, unsuccessfully, to get the Humali Kingdom’s royal family to act for about three years when it came and there was no choice but to seal it instead or let destruction reign on Dootenya and possibly the rest of the worlds. Now, here stood an elf - well, Rune was really questioning whether he was actually an elf - who claimed to have caused the appearance of the Great Evil as it was now - suggesting it was different before.</p>
<p>Aman sighed sadly. “I imagine you have many questions. I will answer them as best I can.”</p>
<p>Over the next few hours, Aman told Rune and Percival of many things: of deities, of the Voice, of Daemoran’s trap, of the near-destruction of Dootenya and banishment of Daemoran which was the Great Catastrophe, of the splintering of the Great Evil which was the Great Destruction and the Will of Daemoran which was its end and the foreboding of the Great Evil’s return, of Aman’s long sleep under the dunes, of the existence of the Core Oak - though he carefully avoided giving its precise location - and of much more. By the end of it all, Rune and Percival were convinced that this deity before them was at once the cause of their misfortune (though indirectly and not by will) and the best hope for their salvation.</p>
<p>As Aman finished narrating the past and how he came to find them near death in the snow, he looked to the two and asked, “So, now that I have told you all that I know, will you tell me what has led to your current state?”</p>
<p>Rune shook her head. “We cannot tell you.”</p>
<p>Aman regarded her for a moment as if he were trying to piece together a puzzle in his mind. “Do I frighten you?”</p>
<p>“Well, yes.” Percival spoke up, stretching as he did so and looking anything but frightened. “You are a deity that has the power to banish an evil god after it absorbed part of you after all. But that’s not why we can’t tell you.”</p>
<p>Rune nudged her brother in the arm to signal him to show some manners before turning back to Aman who seemed at once amused by Percival’s behavior and concerned by the current situation. “What Percival means,” Rune clarified, “is that we cannot tell you, but that does not mean we do not want to.”</p>
<p>“Ah.” Aman rose to his feet and began picking up items around the camp, of which there weren’t many. “I see. Then perhaps you could answer another question.” He paused for a moment as if thinking of the best way to formulate what to ask next. “Who was the last person you spoke to without restriction?”</p>
<p>“Father.” Rune replied, glad Aman had taken her hint and worked around the seal. “That was twelve years ago.”</p>
<p>A look of anger and grief crossed briefly over Aman’s face. “Are you not human?”</p>
<p>“We are.” Percival answered, leaning against his sister’s shoulder. “I was three and Sister was five, so I don’t really remember that well. It was late at night I think.”</p>
<p>Rune nodded. “Yes, it was the middle of the night long after everyone was asleep. Father seemed so conflicted about something and kept apologizing.”</p>
<p>Aman gazed at the two for a moment as silence fell over the camp. Each of the three had different things on their minds, though likely they were related thoughts. Thoughts of pain, of unfair fortune, of longing, of despair, and of desperate hope.</p>
<p>Rune’s mind turned to memories of that night. She recalled her father’s anguished, tear-stained face as he anchored her to the ground in the middle of the grandest magic circle she had ever seen. She recalled the horrible screaming that followed great waves of pain and the moment when she realized that screaming was coming from her own mouth and was echoed by Percival’s cries. She recalled the feeling of the dark, evil power entering her being and being contained by her father’s warm magic but not without a fight that felt as though it would rip her soul to shreds. She recalled the seal anchoring the Great Evil as if it were a rabid animal in a cage inside her and the pull of her magic being forcefully attached to the seal and the beginning of the draining of her magic into the seal which would, for the rest of her life, feel like someone was constantly pulling at her. It was as if she was a cracked vase from which water constantly leaked and, no matter how much water was poured into it, would never be full.</p>
<p>The emotions began to take over, and Rune felt the Great Evil begin to rattle the lock on its cage violently, loosening it. The dark power began to seep out, and she fought back against it.</p>
<p>“Sister!” Percival shoved a bleeding hand against her lips, forcing her to drink. She gulped down a swallow of blood and the lock tightened, the Great Evil receding further back in its cage.</p>
<p>“I’m alright.” She pushed Percival’s hand away and wiped her mouth.</p>
<p>“No.” Aman’s voice drifted to her ears, and she and Percival both startled. They had, for the moment, forgotten his presence. No one had ever seen this before - they had been careful of that. Aman shook his head, his voice dark. “Nothing about this is alright.” He glanced up at the sky which was growing dark. “You should sleep.” He told them, turning and walking a few paces away. “I will keep watch. Tomorrow we can discuss what to do next.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>”I had to torture Aman more too.”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. 27 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rule 62 </p>
<p>573 <br/>24,972</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 62</strong>: There is a protector of libraries who will attack anyone who attempts to destroy knowledge.</p>
<h4>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 59 E.E. DR</h4>
<p>Greg was panicking. This was a special kind of panic though. Em was in labor. </p>
<p>She had a healthy pregnancy by far and while Greg was uncomfortable with his wife having their child in an alternate dimension in a place that he did not know the name of, beggars couldn’t be choosers and he needed to put his big boy boots on and deal with it. (Only having his wife and Samantha for company really added some… interesting phrases to his vocabulary.)</p>
<p>Samantha was boiling water at the fire pit and disinfecting some of the woven cloths. Greg was doing his husbandly duty of holding Em’s hand and wiping sweat away from her face. He swore that she had almost broken his hand twice during contractions. Samantha was checking on Em’s dilation. Samantha never had any competition for godmother, but she was now definitely promoted to aunt. How they were going to explain Samantha’s relationship to their new child was a thought for a future Greg to contemplate. Samantha just told Em to push. </p>
<p>Several grueling hours and one broken finger later, Greg was holding his beautiful child. Ten fingers, ten toes, one very interesting mark on her back. </p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Mushroom Faerie Circle, outside of the Humali Republic, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</h4>
<p>Trei inspected their newest additions to one-half of their circles. The circle looked magnificent. The mushrooms were glowing beautifully, the ring of them was four deep completely around the circle. Trei sighed in relief that the magic of this circle would not be corrupted. They quickly departed.</p>
<p>Mushroom Faerie Circle, Whimwallow Grove, Ranaka Forest, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</p>
<p>Trei appeared in the other half of their circles. Trei mourned every time they thought of their destroyed circles, but knew that mana would protect them all. </p>
<p>Trei inspected this circle. It was as beautiful as they remembered it, but it needed a little more sprucing up to be guarded against any corruption. </p>
<p>Trei worked for several hours, only taking short breaks, to make this circle the best that it could be and still be unique from the circle outside of Humali. </p>
<p>Trei was spent. Trei slept for many hours upon the completion of their work. </p>
<p>The circle glowed eerily, protecting Trei in their sleep. The mushrooms were taller in this circle and seemed to have fangs...</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Tierra, Poscom System, 828 Fi.E.</h4>
<p>Excerpts from <em>A Biography of Qwin Aylana</em>: “The Aylana family was powerful, but never so powerful as when the widowed Qwin took the helm of the Aylana family fortune. She invested heavily in a new colony on a third planet in the Poscom System. It was named Qwayla in her honor.”</p>
<p>“Aylana had three children on Tierra. One daughter and two sons. Aylana denied her children access to the family fortune and access to her colony planet. Her oldest two children fought legal battles for close to three decades before the courts refused to hear their cases. The youngest child disappeared into obscurity.”</p>
<p>Qwayla, Poscom System, 10,168 E.N.</p>
<p>Pieces of a torn book titled <em>The Founder: A Biography</em>: “Qwin Aylana had no children. She funded most of the Qway initiatives still popular today. She helped found the famous Ratrid Theatre, the farms, the Gallery, and so much more. Qwin has been a friend of Qwayla and therefore we should always honor her memory.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>“What the heck does this rule have to do with anything that was written?”<br/>“I ran out of month and forgot!”<br/>/discussion of how we were waiting for a D&amp;D character to show up/</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. 28 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>24,972</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I, Sinsrfun10, plead guilty for having to deal with clogged waiting rooms to retest for the plague. Therefore, I did not write today. Plague and waiting rooms tend to shut off contact with my muse. (BTW I tested negative.)</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. 29 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rules 63-65</p>
<p>282<br/>25,254</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 63</strong>: Greg is not allowed to name anything, including children.</p>
<p><strong>Rule 64</strong>: Interdimensional travel is not teleportation, even when traveling leaving and reentering the same dimension.</p>
<p><strong>Rule 65</strong>: Interdimensional travel is nonlinear.</p>
<h4>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 59 E.E. DR</h4>
<p>“We are NOT naming our daughter Hope!”</p>
<p>Greg thanked everything that Samantha was calming her goddaughter/niece from Em’s screaming at his inability to come up with names that Em would agree to. Em had already knocked out Paige, Isabella, Arwen, Hermione, Willow, Joanne, Galadriel, Susana, Eowyn, Emily, Elva, Arya, Josephine, Cordelia, Samantha, and now Hope. Every single name that Greg put forth was shot down with screaming. Greg threw out Samantha in the hopes of making her laugh. It wasn’t a serious contender for him. It didn’t make her laugh.</p>
<p>This was exhausting. Greg sighed heavily and turned to go hold his two-day-old daughter. </p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Town Square, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fo.E.</h4>
<p>“Dammit Fred! Take us back right now!” an adult female yelled at her very precocious four-year-old niece.</p>
<p>“But Auntie-”</p>
<p>“Now,” the adult growled.</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 59 E.E. DR</h4>
<p>“Hi Fred, you cute little munchkin you,” Samantha cooed at her niece. </p>
<p>She could hear Emilia screaming at Gregory again. The screaming was tapering off a bit, maybe they finally agreed on a name? She turned around, bouncing the baby lightly in her arms.</p>
<p>Greg approached. The look on his face was… there weren’t words for how Samantha thought Greg felt. ‘Maybe it was like having to put down your favorite hunting dog the same day you find out that the bank wants your land? Sounds about right,’ she thought.</p>
<p>“Why did you call her Fred?”</p>
<p>Samantha was silent. She didn’t want to admit an addiction to early 2000s primetime television. “I liked the name?” She asked.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. 30 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rule 66</p>
<p>2,334<br/>27,578</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>He didn't tell her about it or ask her about it. Remember, he just kind of knows things like this when he interacts with people... its a guardian ability... It's no creepier than Santa stocking* us while we sleep. [*stalking, but I thought keeping the original spelling was hilarious on its own.]</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 66</strong>: The mark on Em and Greg’s baby girl’s back is a sign of Malug Ullu Rusur’s blessing. Since the baby was still being formed when he granted the blessing, it is stronger than other blessings he has granted. The mark’s coloring is a swirling mix of water and fire colors.</p>
<h4>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 58 Si.E.</h4>
<p>Malug Ullu Rusur had sensed the presence of sentient beings appear on the eighth planet of the second solar system recently, and went to investigate. It was an uninhabited planet, and there were only three...no four lives that he sensed, so they would likely struggle if they were not familiar with this world - and from the way they felt, he guessed they were not from this dimension.</p>
<p>Upon arriving, Malug Ullu Rusur realized the travelers were fairly well prepared. He was amused as he observed their revelation about the fourth member of their group. He was also surprised, though, when he realized that Hope, one of this world’s deities, had divided her being among them. </p>
<p>When the travelers began trying to build a temporary home, Malug Ullu Rusur decided to make his presence known to them, though he would not tell them he was a Guardian. They would need to build the home quickly if they were to keep the young one safe with the coming of winter. The cold could be harsh on this planet. He also taught them about the local flora and fauna. </p>
<p>The travelers were a unique bunch, and Malug Ullu Rusur felt that was somehow a very good thing. Perhaps it was why Hope had chosen them. She had spoken to him briefly one night while the travelers slept, though she had not been able to manifest her form for long. She had been incredibly weakened, so dividing herself among them was necessary to rest and recover. Malug Ullu Rusur smiled to himself. She would soon have a fourth resting place as well.</p>
<p>It was not long after the log cabin was completed that Malug Ullu Rusur decided it was time to depart. The travelers were self-sufficient now, and he had to find Guardian Disciples… well, he had to find more anyway. These four would be the first for this era.</p>
<p>Malug Ullu Rusur blessed Emilia with an innate ability to use healing magic and gave her a piece of his dragon soul which would extend her life beyond that of an ordinary human - like he had for Mana so long ago - and which would also grant her an affinity to ullu, water. As for Greg, Malug Ullu Rusur blessed him with an innate appraisal ability to be able to innately identify the properties of what he appraised and also gave him a piece of his dragon soul which would extend his life and grant him an affinity to ullu. Meanwhile, Mallug Ullu Rusur blessed the fiery Samantha with a mapping and tracking ability (he designed it to function similarly to games she had memories of playing) and gave her a piece of his dragon soul which would extend her life and grant her an affinity to rusur, fire. </p>
<p>It took quite some time for Malug Ullu Rusur to settle on the final blessing, as the young one was still forming; however, Malug Ullu Rusur felt great potential within the young one, and finally decided to bless her with limited precognition and a piece of his dragon soul that would extend her life and grant her an affinity with both ullu and rusur for this young one was incredibly special.</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Somewhere in Vintelium, mid 1246 S.E.</h4>
<p>It had been a little over a year since Aman had begun traveling with the children. Both Rune and Percival had proven resilient and strong in the face of the many hardships ahead of them, but there were things beyond their control. Like him, neither had any solid leads on how to completely destroy the Great Evil, though there were some possibilities - ones that Aman did not wish to contemplate. Ones that he soon would have to.</p>
<p>Time was running out.</p>
<p>A seal like the one their father had placed was not meant to contain something so powerful as the Great Evil, nor could it last forever. The seal was weakening, and it showed. Though it was clear Rune tried to hide it, she was having a harder time maintaining control, and there were more times that Percival had to give her blood to tighten the seal.</p>
<p>“Aman.” Rune’s soft voice greeted his ears and he looked down at her from his place in the tree. It was night and he was keeping watch.</p>
<p>“It is late, Rune; you should be asleep.” He hopped down from the tree nevertheless, gracefully alightling on his feet.</p>
<p>Rune glanced over her shoulder at the place where Percival slept by the fire. “I didn’t want him to overhear.”</p>
<p>Aman nodded. He had expected such a conversation.</p>
<p>“I” Rune paused. She seemed conflicted. “Is there anyway to prevent this from-” She struggled to finish the sentence. Whether it was a fight to find words the seal would allow her to speak or simply a wish to deny the horrible truth which was before her, Aman was not sure.</p>
<p>He placed a hand on her shoulder. “There is one way I can think of, but I would rather not use it.”</p>
<p>Rune looked him dead in the eye. “Tell me.”</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Somewhere in the Spiritheum Dunes, Vintelium, late 1246 S.E.</h4>
<p>Percival grit his teeth and clenched his fist. He tried with all his might to control his anger and not punch Aman into Nullerne. “There has to be another way!”</p>
<p>Aman shook his head calmly. “I understand how you feel-”</p>
<p>“No!” Percival shouted. “No, you don’t! How can you suggest that I” he swallowed, not wanting to finish the sentence, “that I kill my own sister?”</p>
<p>“It is the only way.” Aman replied, voice grim. “It has been three months since she lost control of the Great Evil. It has taken us this long just to trick it into following us to an open space large enough for the ritual.” He looked Percival in the eyes. “You and I both know we have no other choice.”</p>
<p>Percival turned his back on Aman and pulled his sword from its sheath. “It had better work.”</p>
<p>“I know.”</p>
<p>With those words, Percival ran out from the cover of the dune he and Aman had been hidden behind and shouted to get the Great Evil’s attention. His heart clenched as he saw his sister in this form. Darkness emanated from her, her eyes glowed red, her hands were like claws - she was altogether inhuman and yet unmistakably his sister. Through her, the Great Evil lunged in his direction, dark tendrils of power lashing about the entire area, corrupting it.</p>
<p>Percival steadied himself, raising his sword and positioning it just so as a melody floated across the dunes - a melody that had no name and no equal. A golden light accompanied the melody and restrained the Great Evil momentarily when it was only a few feet from Percival’s location, and he took that as his cue. He lunged forward, impaling his sister’s body with his sword.</p>
<p>Immediately, there was an explosion of darkness as it seemed to shoot out of Rune’s body even as her blood spilled onto Percival’s sword and she collapsed against him. Aman’s melody grew, and golden light entwined with darkness in a fierce struggle the likes of which Percival knew he would never be able to describe. And then, all at once, the melody ceased just as it reached a crescendo, and the golden light pushed the darkness with one final blast away from Dootenya, casting it far into the recesses of the first solar system.</p>
<p>But as it was cast away, a piece of the darkness hurtled toward one of the dunes, burying into it, and the world shook. For a moment, Percival feared the banishing had failed, that his sister had died in vain. Then Aman appeared from somewhere nearby, stumbling, weak.</p>
<p>“It is finished, though it is not over.” Aman stated. “The Great Evil is banished, and it will take quite a long time for it to return.” He collapsed to the ground. </p>
<p>Percival would have caught the deity, but his sister’s limp body was in his arms, and he could not bear to let her go. Not yet.</p>
<p>The world shook again, and Percival was unable to maintain his footing. He fell to the ground, Rune still in his arms.</p>
<p>Aman dragged himself over to the two and placed a hand on Rune’s forehead. “The Great Evil has taken a great revenge.” He spoke with a sadness Percival rarely heard from the deity. “Your sister, and the Core Oak.”</p>
<p>Percival looked at Aman in alarm. “But that means that Dootenya-”</p>
<p>Aman shook his head. “The amount of darkness which has hit the Core Oak is enough to weaken it, but not to destroy it. However, the corruption of the Great Evil will likely spread in the coming years.” He placed the hand which was not on Rune’s forehead on Percival’s back. “Still, this is a matter for others to face, not you.” He sighed deeply. “I wish I could give you more than a moment, but that is not my gift.”</p>
<p>Percival was about to ask what Aman meant when the deity began to sing - only a few notes, and clearly they took all that Aman had left, for the deity collapsed into unconsciousness a moment later. Percival felt something rush through him and then Rune stirred in his arms.</p>
<p>“Percival.” She opened her eyes - they shimmered with a golden light, and Percival understood what Aman had done.</p>
<p>“Sister.” Percival placed a hand on her cheek. “I am so sorry.”</p>
<p>Rune shook her head and embraced Percival in one final hug. “No apologies, brother. You have saved countless lives. And me.” She paused, gripping him tightly as he did her. “I knew what I was doing - I was aware, and yet I could not stop.” She pulled back from his grasp and a bittersweet smile played across her lips. “Percival, brother, you have saved me from that horror.”</p>
<p>Percival bit his lip and tried to return the smile as the golden light faded from her eyes, and they closed one final time. Tears streamed down his face as he knelt there in the sand and blood, his sister’s lifeless body in his lap, and a deity unconscious by his side.</p>
<p>He had saved many lives, yes. But at what cost?</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Ruins of Oreol Manor, Aidil Men, Humali Republic, Dootenya, Poscom System, late 825 Fi.E.</h4>
<p>Mana looked at the ruined manor then looked to the two people on either side of her. It had taken seven hundred years to find them, and now the Darkness had begun to appear just as Aman had indicated it would. Now was the time.</p>
<p>She certainly had not expected these companions. One was like a mushroom, the other like a block of ice. Yet she was undeniably led to them. And so, she had brought them here at long last. This would be the first of many steps in their journey to defeat the darkness.</p>
<p>They must absorb the essence of Aman.</p>
<p>Had you told her centuries ago that she would one day try to absorb a deity, she would have called you crazy. But here she was. And it was the deity himself who had told her to do so in the final lines of his book. He had written the precise method by which it was possible and instructed that those blessed by the Guardian - though he never clearly specified who or what the ‘Guardian’ was - should together absorb his essence and so gain what was missing to fight against the return of the Great Evil - the Darkness as Mana had taken to calling it.</p>
<p>“Ready?” </p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 60 Si.E.</h4>
<p>Dev had been wandering the second solar system for around a year now. Two years ago they had come of age and learned the truth about themself - they were the reincarnation of Daemoran, of the Great Evil, of the Darkness. They were the fourth coming. They had been, for the past two years trying to come to terms with this.</p>
<p>They had yet to do so.</p>
<p>Still, Dev knew that something had to be done, and so they decided they would isolate themselves - look for an uninhabited location where they could lead a solitary life completely away from everyone else. Perhaps then they could never hurt anyone.</p>
<p>And so they had come to the second solar system where there were still unexplored places. After some time, they had ended up in their current location, and - seeing as there was no response from the radio call or the magic message Dev had sent before landing their single-man exploration ship - this seemed to be an uninhabited landmass.</p>
<p>It should have been anyway.</p>
<p>And yet, around noon Dev had stumbled upon a log cabin inhabited by not one, not two, not three, but four humans. Granted, one was no more than a year old at the most, but still. Where had they come from?</p>
<p>Dev was very curious, but they didn’t have the right to be, and so they turned around to leave, hoping that the black magic they had used to disguise their presence while verifying this was in fact an uninhabited landmass (which it obviously wasn’t) would keep them from being detected.</p>
<p>“Show yourself!” One of the humans shouted.</p>
<p>Dev froze and turned slowly. Sure enough, one of the humans - the female in the pink tunic and leggings - was facing Dev’s general direction and holding a hot pink buck knife at the ready. The other woman quickly grabbed a bow from nearby and pulled an arrow taut against it as the man grabbed the infant who had been crawling on the ground nearby and moved behind the women.</p>
<p>Well, there was no avoiding it.</p>
<p>Dev dropped the black magic cloak and came forward with hands raised. “I mean you no harm.” They said. “Just looking for a place to live as a hermit for the rest of my life.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>“Note: Guardians: Aware of other dimensions.”</p>
<p>“Yes. He was very well aware of this baby.”</p>
<p>Discussion about punctuation and pauses which C: did not participate in.</p>
<p>While C is reading a tragic moment L: Why does it sound like you're smiling?!<br/>C: I’m trying not to laugh at the comments I’m expecting from the two of you.</p>
<p>S: “You made your sister cry.”<br/>C: “I made myself cry.”<br/>L: /cries/</p>
<p>L: “There is a reason - you don’t know it yet - that [redacted] is so fitting and so stupidly, frustratingly fitting…”</p>
<p>“Um, yeah, about that…”<br/>“I’m getting to that.”<br/>/giggling/<br/>“It’s really not!”<br/>/more giggling/</p>
<p>“Dev raised their own flags.”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. 31 December 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>LAST DAY!!!! Rules 67 &amp; 68</p>
<p>3,690<br/>31,268<br/>We made word count by a little over 200 words. We began today needing over 2,000 words to make word count. All of us were relieved when we hit it. (Calenlas, not so much. She ended the story and carried the burden of writing over 1,000 words by herself in under an hour.)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Rule 67</strong>: Dev gets a happy ending. Not everyone gets one of those.</p>
<p><strong>Rule 68</strong>: Fred is short for Frederica.</p>
<h4>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 60 E.E. DR</h4>
<p>Emilia was not happy. There was a stranger that seemed...off. They reminded her of the box-entity from the dimension left of her home dimension. They projected sincerity, but she wasn’t too sure about them. </p>
<p>She continued to aim her bow and arrow at him and Samantha didn’t let her guard down at all. The woman was vicious in the defense of her niece. </p>
<p>Emilia could sense her husband and daughter behind them. Then her daughter sneezed. </p>
<p>The person caught on fire. Emilia dropped the bow in shock. </p>
<p>“I TOLD you it wasn’t me!” Samantha yelled, turning to glare at Greg and Emilia simultaneously.  </p>
<p>Greg somewhat calmly replied but Emilia was more distracted by the non-screaming reaction of the hermit-person her beautiful, wonderful, blessed, eleven-month-old daughter just set on fire. </p>
<p>Emilia didn’t know what to do or how to react, so she fell on her old standby: make a list.</p>
<ol>
<li>Her daughter has powers</li>
<li>Her daughter can light things on fire</li>
<li>They don’t need matches anymore</li>
<li>Her daughter needs to be trained</li>
<li>Samantha is going to train Fred</li>
<li>Samantha is going to gloat</li>
</ol>
<p>Emilia was so used to ending her lists with Samantha that she naturally added anything with Samantha to the end of her lists. Greg and Samantha were also so incredibly used to this that if Emilia was making a list and hadn’t ended it yet, they threw out something related to Samantha to end it preemptively. </p>
<p>Emilia began to pay attention to her surroundings again. Samantha was still on guard, standing threateningly between them and the hermit-person. Greg was still holding Fred, and was attempting to calm Fred’s giggling down. And also telling her that lighting people on fire was not a good thing. The stranger was still on fire, still not screaming, and still smiling?</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Poscom System, 830 Fi.E</h4>
<p>People were shocked by a book that suddenly appeared on bookshelves throughout the Poscom System. It was about the last few years on Qwayla and what led to the Exodus and Banishment of the Qways.</p>
<h4>Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, 10th day of Nine, 10,170 E.N.</h4>
<p>From <em>The Plague Years</em> by A Descendant of Qwin, “Chapter 1: A Brief History”:</p>
<p>“People were unhappy. People had been unhappy for a long time on Qwayla. The Council of Nine (The Nine) had been gathering their power for almost five millennia. The Nine had been relatively quiet about gathering power before the separation. Many Qways who were unhappy with the pre-isolation government left. They left for Dootenya, they left for Tierra, they left to explore the unknown. </p>
<p>“Those left behind after the Separation could not leave. There were many Qwa Trees to check before one could even think about leaving Qwayla. One of these was a detailed history of your family. As a descendant of Qwin Aylana, I could not leave. Not without being banished from the only home I had ever known. Aylana’s descendants were not allowed to leave. And I was descended from two lines. My mother’s line came from Aylana’s granddaughter that had been allowed to live on Qwayla with her mother and Aylana. My paternal line came from Aylana’s only daughter. </p>
<p>“One of the Aylana children who had fought decades to get power from their mother. One of the Aylana children who sued their mother no less than twenty times. One of the Aylana children that caused The Nine to ban all three of Aylana’s children from Qwayla completely. One of the Aylana children whose descendants are completely barred from visiting Qwayla pre-Separation. One of the Aylana children whose descendants are completely barred from becoming a citizen of Qwayla. </p>
<p>“My existence gave me perks as a direct descendant of Aylana’s favored son, but also made my citizenship, home, and life a legal impossibility from my paternal line. After gifting me with this knowledge, my sperm-donor left the meeting with an altered view.” </p>
<p>From <em>The Plague Years</em> by A Descendant of Qwin, “Chapter 5: The Plague”:</p>
<p>“It began with the Qwa Trees exploding. They began to explode with no warning. The largest tree farm on Qwayla lost an entire grove directly after the death of the owner. </p>
<p>“There were reports taken from The Nine that claimed that the owner showed symptoms of the plague, but the grove that was wiped out from explosions blew up the house, where the owner laid in state.* </p>
<p>“*Footnote: The Qway honor their dead for a week before burial. It is a week-long event with mourners and family members coming by throughout the week to tell stories and remember the deceased as they lived. May they be in with the Qwa Trees. </p>
<p>“This explosion vastly reduced the amount of breathable air in the atmosphere of Qwayla. Many off-planet did not know that the Qwa Trees were efficient air makers and purifiers. They only know the Qwa Trees for being tempermentel to grow and wonderful wood for furniture. They supplied at least 80 percent of Qwayla’s air supply. The destruction of one tree could be catastrophic to the environment. The loss of a grove? It was worse. </p>
<p>“The Nine had quelled rumors of the loss of a grove on Macaonit really well until more trees began to explode on Cheyenne, Gian, and Isatemukeh. This caused people to panic. The Nine began to let people voluntarily leave Qwayla for the first time in almost 500 years. This caused people to panic more and believe that the rumors were true: Qwayla was dying.</p>
<p>“It turned out that Qwayla was not dying, the Qway were. </p>
<p>“The Nine speculated that Qwa Trees were the cause of the plague. There was no evidence found to support that accusation against the beloved planetary treasure. </p>
<p>“The Qwa Tree plague began with a different discoloration to the Qwa Trees. Instead of turning brighter, they spotted. These spots turned darker in color. The darker the spots were, the closer they were to a random explosion. </p>
<p>“The Qway Plague began with sores. They itched much like a pox, but the sores were open. These sores seeped a clear liquid from them, drying the skin near the sores. This caused the sufferer to scratch even more. </p>
<p>“Then the chills set in along with difficulty breathing. One in the advanced stage of the plague needed to have a steady supply of air and warmth. They also needed to be supervised. </p>
<p>“Those who supervised those in the advanced stage were guaranteed to develop the plague. Those buildings with plague victims were marked and bodies were disposed of quickly. We could not honor our deceased. It was a dark time on Qwayla.”</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 60 Si.E.</h4>
<p>Dev felt light. They were on fire, but they were not burning. That child set them free from a weight that they did not know they were carrying. </p>
<p>One of the women had dropped her bow and was staring at them in disbelief. The look on her face was quite comical. </p>
<p>The other woman and the man holding the child were talking. The woman still held her hot pink knife towards them as a threat while she talked with the man. Dev could only make out a few words from their discussion. </p>
<p>“-Red-no-fire-bad,” came in a deeper voice.</p>
<p>“-Ood job. -cold-her. Fr-id-ud,” replied along with movement from the front woman’s lips. The woman had also adjusted her stance to cover the other woman who dropped her weapon.</p>
<p>Dev knew that they had a smile on their face. They did not care how it made them look. They felt AMAZING.</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Iâring, Dootenya, Poscom System, 150 Fi.E.</h4>
<p>It had taken five years for Rhîwgwaewen to reach Iâring. It was an extremely cold place, colder than Rhîwgwaewen already was, but also incredibly beautiful in an eerie sort of way. As she placed one hand gently on the ice blocking the entrance, she heard an ancient melody echo in her mind.</p>
<p>
  <em>Ahnsul finsha di naran. Cari laden frisarey, naru dishi lara an.</em>
</p>
<p>The words were in a language older than any Rhîwgwaewen knew of, perhaps even older than the first era. They were calling her, calling her to the heart of the cold.</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Somewhere in Dootenya, Poscom System, 1634 Fo.E.</h4>
<p>A little elfling popped her head out from behind the tree doing her best to stifle a giggle, but the sharp ears of the slightly larger elfling in the small clearing caught the faint sound and he whipped around quickly.</p>
<p>“Gotcha!” He leaped toward the girl, tackling her to the ground. No longer able to hold in her laughter, she burst into a fit of giggles and was soon joined in her joyous chorus by the laughter of the boy as well. </p>
<p>The two played for another few hours before rejoining the rest of their family to eat and watch the sunset. The little elfling curled up in her mother’s lap as the golden rays set the sky on fire, gently stroking the small bump on her mother’s stomach, wondering if she would have a little brother or sister soon. She would be happy either way, but she kind of hoped for a sister. She already had three big brothers after all.</p>
<p>“Shall we sing farewell to the sun?” her father’s voice drifted over the breeze.</p>
<p>Together, the family sang, their voices harmonizing. She couldn’t wait to hear how her little sibling’s voice would add to the warm melody.</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Iâring, Dootenya, Poscom System, 151 Fi.E.</h4>
<p>It was cold. So cold. And dark. Rhîwgwaewen remembered this. Remembered this feeling. It was painful. So cold.</p>
<p>But there was something else. Something it wanted to show her. Something she needed to know, needed to feel. It was calling her, calling her to come further in, deeper into the heart.</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Mountains somewhere in Dootenya, Poscom System, 1712 Fo.E.</h4>
<p>The monster attacked out of nowhere. It took her mother first, throwing her hard into a tree. The sickening cracking sounds echoed in the frozen air. Her father and brothers drew their weapons as she looked frantically for her little sister. </p>
<p>She froze in horror as she spied her sister coming back into the clearing only a hand’s breadth away from the monster innocently sniffing a bundle of wildflowers in her hands. Her father saw her next, rushing the beast with a fierce cry to try and distract it, but the beast had caught her scent. It batted her father away with its massive tail at the same time as it leaned its enormous head down and swallowed her sister in one bite.</p>
<p>Her keen ears heard muffled cries of pain even as her brothers launched an attack, cursing at the monster. She ran to where her father had rolled to. He was still breathing, but his chest was caved in. She wanted to deny it, but she knew he wouldn’t make it, not without a healer, and only her mother had strong enough magic of that kind to save him.</p>
<p>Still, she wouldn’t give up, she tried to pull his body toward the trees where she could hide him from the monster, but the monster charged toward her. She barely registered what happened as one of her brothers pulled her out of the way. Pain shot across her face and through her eyes. Something hot trickled down her cheeks, but she couldn’t open her eyes.</p>
<p>She was knocked away by something heavy. Her head hurt where it hit a tree, and it was hard to breathe with something heavy pressing against her chest. She tried to push it away, but it was too heavy.</p>
<p>Just when she thought she would pass out, the heavy object moved and one of her brother’s voices called out to her. He sounded like he was in pain, but he asked if she was okay as he pressed something over her eyes. She didn’t hear fighting anymore. It was quiet.</p>
<p>She felt the tingling of healing magic. It was weak, not as developed as her mother’s, but it eased the pain. When her brother pulled his hand away, she opened her eyes, but she couldn’t see anything. Her brother pulled her close to him, burying her face in his chest with just enough room to breathe. She asked about the others, but he wouldn’t answer. His body shook and she caught the tell-tale sounds of crying. Soon, her own sobs joined his.</p>
<p>He was getting colder.</p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Iâring, Dootenya, Poscom System, 152 Fi.E.</h4>
<p>Rhîwgwaewen wasn’t really sure how much time had passed since she got here. This place was cold and the farther in she went the more memories kept resurfacing. She was growing colder than she ever thought she could be.</p>
<p>She entered a chamber where the song was louder than anywhere before. It seemed to be coming from a block of ice larger than she was in the center of the chamber. It was the heart. It was calling her.</p>
<p>She reached out, and suddenly the melody was everywhere, around her, caressing her, in her. It was cold, very cold, but at the same time it was somehow warm.</p>
<p>A million memories began swirling in her mind. At some point, the memories stopped being hers. She started to see memories that belonged to her family, then memories that belonged to other people she had come in contact with, then people she didn’t even know. She felt them. The memories. They were calling her deeper into the heart, deeper into the cold.</p>
<p>She let herself fall.</p>
<p>Rhîwgwaewen didn’t know how much time had passed, but at some point the music and the memories suddenly stopped. They were not gone, though. She felt them tucked securely inside her. But it was cold. Very cold.</p>
<p>Then it was warm. She felt someone hugging her. Slowly, she felt her limbs begin to move, and she realized she had actually frozen solid. Whoever was hugging her was singing something quietly by her ear. It felt familiar, like it was part of the same language of the song that called her deeper into the heart, but it was a different song.</p>
<p>When she felt warm for the first time in more than a hundred years, the body pulled away and she saw a man with sharp ears and the most beautiful black horns alive with writhing flames and water droplets. He smiled at her before disappearing. </p>
<p>***</p>
<h4>Corrupted Spiritheum Dunes, Vintelium, Dootenya, Poscom System, 830 Fi.E.</h4>
<p>It was fitting, Mana thought, that the fight against the darkness would bring them here. No one had set foot in the Corrupted Spiritheum Dunes in ages - not that lived to tell about it anyway - but they had come here. Mana shuddered as she reinforced the magical barrier around herself, Trei, and Winter. The three of them had been accosted by all manner of dark beings since entering the dunes, and she was running low on mana - something rare for her.</p>
<p>“There!” Trei pointed ahead - Mana still wasn’t used to the mushroom-like fae’s arms which at once existed and didn’t. It was as if, whenever Trei needed them, the arms appeared, and - when they didn’t - the arms settled once more into the mushroom-shaped body which Mana learned never to state was mushroom-like. Not aloud anyway.</p>
<p>Up ahead there was a large cluster of demonic beings and something that made Mana shudder even more than the dark atmosphere of the corrupted dunes: it was a large, black hand. There was no arm or body connected to the hand. It was just the hand, and it was large. Larger than some of the dunes.</p>
<p>Winter dashed ahead, shooting ice from her hands as she went, knocking down the foremost demonic beings. Trei followed, spinning in circles and spreading what could only be called spores in the air. Where the spores landed, mushrooms sprang up - though these mushrooms were unlike any you would find in an ordinary forest. These mushrooms had fangs and they moved. They moved in the direction of the demonic beings and engaged in a fierce battle.</p>
<p>Mana stood her ground in the rearguard, casting protective magic as necessary and moving about in what anyone else would have called a highly erratic pattern. As she did so, she spent her scant remaining mana to lay down tracks in the sand of the dunes. She knew what she was doing for she was guided by the words she had been reading for over seven hundred years and the melody which begged to be released from her throat.</p>
<p>At long last when there was no mana left in her, she called to the others. “Now!”</p>
<p>All three began to sing. It was a song that had no name and no equal, and one that they themselves could not tell another how to sing. It was a song that had become a part of them.</p>
<p>A gold light began to spring up along the lines Mana had traced in the ground earlier and each of the three began to shimmer in golden light as well. As the last note of a three-part harmony was struck, the song ceased, and the golden light swirled tumultuously about, launching at the dark hand which had swung against the nearest dune, swallowing it up. There was a moment of utter silence then as if even the wind was holding its breath. And then the light coalesced and rocketed into the sky like a shooting star in reverse before exploding in a grand display and sprinkling down over the dunes like many fine flakes of light. Though if one looked closely, they would see a small streak of light swirling with darkness floating up, up, up, and into orbit around Dootenya until one year later when it descended to a small, isolated village at the border between the Humali Republic and Vintelium and a human woman widowed at a young age discovered a dark-skinned infant that she would raise until her death in 57 Si.E. when the child seemed to be an adult and she was on her deathbed.</p>
<h4>A Voice Echoing in the Great Vastness, Time Immemorial</h4>
<p>At the inception of all, there was light and dark, good and bad, despair and hope. At the inception of all, there was all, and there was balance. Then something happened that shifted that balance in favor of the darkness, of the bad, of despair. But even then there was light. As ever, there was good. For always, there is hope. And so, in time the balance shifted again, back to the center. And eventually hope won out, though despair lingered.</p>
<p>In the first era, or the second if you prefer that reckoning, when the Peoples were awoken, a deity was tricked and released a Great Evil into the world. This deity then banished that evil but was greatly weakened in doing so.</p>
<p>In the second era, or the third, if you prefer that reckoning, the Great Evil returned and was again banished by the very same deity that banished it the first time, though deep scars remained in the worlds, and a boy was forced to slay his sister in order to save her.</p>
<p>In the third era, or fourth if you prefer that reckoning, the worlds faced near annihilation. The scars in the worlds left behind by the Great Evil sickened the worlds until they came to the brink of collapse and only the sacrifice of those who stand guard over the worlds - the Guardians - could save them.</p>
<p>In the fourth era, or fifth if you prefer that reckoning, the Peoples of the worlds found the boundaries. This was an era of relative balance in which good and bad were in harmony. But the evil had not been fully flushed from its throne.</p>
<p>In the fifth era, or the seventh if you prefer that reckoning, the Darkness rose once again. This time it was pushed back by the three Great Heroes, those blessed by the final Guardian and chosen by the deity who had first erred so long ago to right his wrong. A great chorus of hope encircled the darkness, and it was cast out again, but not destroyed.</p>
<p>In the sixth era, or the eighth if you prefer that reckoning, at the hands of a single infant giggling in her father’s arms, darkness was lifted from a heart weighed heavily by despair, and the balance of the worlds returned.</p>
<p>Through it all, the worlds have been greatly changed, reshaped time and again, touched by that which did not originally belong. And so too did the worlds touch that which entered without permission and shape them into inhabitants of the worlds - though they remain entirely not of the worlds as well, free to travel between the worlds and the place from which they came.</p>
<p>As for those of the worlds, there are many more stories to tell. For each life, there is a story, and we have only heard and told a few. Some were cut short, and some were over-long. The man who was made a vessel and killed twice was but a moment in time - a story that was not given its due course. The infant with a special magic born human yet granted life far beyond her intended years outlived her story and yet little is known of the first several hundred years of her existence. And what of the knight who served faithfully even when his masters could no longer afford his services? Will we learn his story? One day, certainly. For every life has a story.</p>
<p>But there is one more thing which must be said now. One thing which everyone who hears this voice should heed. So listen well.</p>
<p>Each story that you have heard thus far is entirely real and yet unreal. Each story was lived, each life, each step, each breath. And yet each story was entirely made up. That is, each story was and was not. I wonder, listeners, when you will realize why. Perhaps I should say.</p>
<p>Perhaps not.</p>
<p>Instead, I will leave you with one final note: Go and live your story well.</p>
<p>The End</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>C: “And you say I tortured my characters.”</p>
<p>“Metaphysical fire.”<br/>“Burning bush anyone?”</p>
<p>C: “And you say I tortured my characters.”</p>
<p>L: “See why [redacted] was so stupidly, annoyingly fitting?”</p>
<p>“Ah! That is supposed to be capitalized!”</p>
<p>“I needed words.” “I couldn’t tell.”</p>
<p>“Even the Voice doesn’t remember Jes!”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Calendars</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This is a calendar legend that we used to make sense of our timelines. It was a mess quite honestly.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Here are the Calendars that I promised you so very long ago. (aka when the rules were made.)</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Whole Story REDACTED</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This is the entire story in its redacted form. :-)</p><p>All 4,962 words of rules, all 31,268 words of story.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h3>Allowed Character Bios</h3><p>Aman (male): Aman is a youthful man, tall in stature, lithe in form. Magic flows in his veins, and no one knows how old he truly is. He is generally good, but there is something dark in his past that occasionally causes him to be ill at ease and utterly unlike himself.</p><p>Rune Oreol  (female): When she was five, Rune’s father sealed a great evil inside of her and made her then three year old brother the key. It was necessary, her father told them, and it was a secret they could never tell anyone. To ensure this, he placed another seal upon them both to silence their tongues should they ever try to speak of the seal - after all, children are not always able to keep secrets. He had intended to lift the seal of their ability to talk about it when they were grown, but he died before he had the chance. It is Rune’s extreme pool of mana which powers the seal on the great evil, and it is her extreme emotions which can weaken it; thus, her magicless brother is the key - his blood will tighten the seal.</p><p>Mana (female): Named for the power in her veins, Mana grew up in a predominantly magic-less town. She has been, ever since people found out she had power, used by, well, everyone in town. If the innkeeper needed the chandelier repaired, it was Mana’s job. If the healer needed a rare herb, Mana had to collect it - after all she could ward herself against the dangerous beasts in the forest. Every banal, boring, difficult, and downright dangerous job in town was Mana’s. As such, her magic is rather unique. She has never had formal training, and she would likely flunk out of wizardry schools, but her magic is flexible in a way that stuffy college mages would never understand, and most would never care to. Still, her unique abilities may just hold the key to solving one of the nation’s greatest crises yet.</p><p>Dev (unspecified): Dev has always had an affinity for darkness. Dark magic, nighttime, black colored trinkets and clothing. Now Dev knows why.</p><p>Sorser (unspecified): Most people are either born with magic or born without. Sorser isn’t most people. Sorser was both born with and born without: born with a vast pool of mana and born without a link to it. </p><p>Taylor (unspecified): Taylor was born into a large family. Taylor is estranged from their family. Taylor owns their own smithy and makes well-crafted armor and weapons for those who commission them. Their main trade is making pans, kettles, and horseshoes for the people in the small town they live in. Everyone in the town wants to marry off the well-respected blacksmith, but they are a very private person. </p><p>Percival Oreol (male): When Percival was three, he was traumatized when his father sealed a great evil inside his older sister and made him the key to her seal. His lack of mana and inability to wield it made him the perfect key to his father. Unfortunately, his father died before he could reverse the magic silencing his sister and he about the great evil. Percival travels light to insure that he never faces the great evil in his sister.</p><p>Francis (male): Francis goes by Frank. The only one allowed to call Frank Francis is dead and has been for 15 years. His mother gave him his beautiful clear blue eyes and his dark complexion. His father gave him nothing but half of his DNA. Until he found a letter from his father explaining why he had to leave. Frank still hasn’t forgiven him.</p><p>Adrian “Vulpine Healer” “Clawing Healer” (unspecified): Adrian is a fox shifter of a young age. Their parents and their other litter mates moved easily from town to town, but Adrian liked their newest “hometown” and didn’t want to leave. They had made a close friend that resembled them closely. Many nearby thought that they were siblings with their twin sun-red hair and dark brown eyes. When Adrian’s close friend died, Adrian wanted to know why. They became a healer. A healer that is as likely to heal you as claw you when you ask for their help. Adrian appreciates politeness and prefers you to make appointments for healing. Do not call Adrian anything but Healer or Vulpine Healer to his face. Do not mention his past clawings. You may have just added yourself to that list of people that he has healed and clawed.</p><p>Trei Eknal (unspecified): Trei is a fae that protects faerie rings. More specifically they protect faerie rings made of mushrooms. Trei shares many characteristics with mushrooms, but “shhhhh” they really don’t like others to comment on the similarities between them and mushrooms. Trei is not their full name and most would be wise about what name you tell Trei. Trei is very much fae and you will be in exquisite pain if you destroy a mushroom around them.</p><p>Winter (female): While not her real name, the elven frost mage goes by “Winter” as humans find it difficult to pronounce her true elven name: Rhîwgwaewen. They add all kinds of strange inflections trying to pronounce it…. It’s not so much that she minds, but that it’s simply easier. The meaning is there anyway, mostly (Winter Storm was too long for most humans to bother with, and it caused a few misunderstandings during summer). Having lived for 250 years, she is still considered very young among the elves, only a half century past her coming of age. People often mistake her cold gaze as condescending or uncaring, but it is simply a byproduct of guarding herself - a frozen wall built out of need because of what happened. She feels more deeply than most - and to some degree, she fears this as her magic becomes unstable when her emotions are unstable. Her hair is white as snow, her skin covered in a natural, magical frost. Her eyes appear a striking, sapphire blue - the color of raw lyrium (Dragon Age version of Mana). They glow, but only ever so slightly - only a trained eye would notice. This is on account of her using her lyrium to restore sight to her now blinded eyes. If she were to stop concentrating lyrium into her eyes, they would appear a ghostly white color.</p><p>Jule (unspecified): They walk in the shadows most of the time, clad in simple leather armor and a green hood. They wield weapons forged by a secretive bladesmith who recognized their talent and sought to make them the perfect weapons - a final legacy. The weapons, identical to each other and wielded one in each hand, appear much like two daggers connected at the grip. They use these twinblades (as they have taken to calling them) to bring justice where justice is needed most.</p><p>Inani Truella (unspecified): A famous actor rarely seen in public, no one knows their true identity, and they like it that way. Beautiful enough to play the most enchanting princess, yet handsome enough to play a dashing prince, and mysterious enough to play an insidious villain, there is no role this actor has not played, nor one that would not suit them. They live and breathe theatre.</p><p>Malug Ullu Rusur (male): Often mistaken for a demon because of the regal horns (deep obsidian black that seem alive with writhing flames as lines of pure blue water droplets encircle them) on his head, Malug Ullu Rusur is one of the last Guardians. The blood of dragons runs thick in his veins, but they were not the vicious beasts most humans ignorantly believed them to be. No, they were wise beyond measure, noble, and lovers of life. Gifted the name Malug by his parents, the now three-thousand-year-old dragon earned the title Ullu Rusur upon becoming a Guardian as he held the power of both water and fire. The Mark of the Guardian rests on his left arm, extending from the top of his shoulder to the base of his bicep. While he can call on the elements, he prefers to fight with his katana - blade dulled by magic - to reduce the harm to his opponents. However, if he must, he will unleash his full, unforgiving fury.</p><p>Jes Revno (unspecified): Considered a cooky inventor by most, Jes aspires to be like the famed Davin Chi who invented many new creations in his time, and drew up plans for several more that were ahead of his time. Whether it is dungeon diving, or intense haggling, Jes will do almost anything to get their hands on a part for their latest idea. While this did lead to the long, jagged scar running along their back, Jes would do it all again in a heartbeat.</p>
<h3>World Rules</h3><ol>
<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 1, 2020</strong>: Magic is real; however, it has different names in different places, and some people do not believe in it.</p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 2, 2020</strong>: Gravity applies to anything located on any given landmass. These landmasses may not be necessarily connected to a planet.</p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 3, 2020: Rule 1</strong> All kinds of fantasy races like dwarves, elves, and dragonborn, to name a few, exist. Some communities are not aware of and/or do not believe in the existence of some or all races other than their own. Also, some groups have misperceptions about what other races are like. For example, a human might believe elves exist, but think they are three inches tall and spend their lives making shoes when elves are in reality tall and graceful, and they do not necessarily make shoes.</p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 3, 2020: Rule 2</strong> It is possible for two completely different races to have the same name if at least one of the following conditions is met. (1) the name was given to both groups by others, but neither group refers to themselves in that way. (2) one group actually calls themselves by that name and the other group does not, but people tend to mistake the second group for the first. (3) the two groups were unaware of each other or at least unaware of the name the other group went by and/or were given when they chose what to call themselves. (4) others assumed the two races were either the same or similar enough to have a single collective term to refer to them, (a) and they have adopted that term over time, (b) but they have different names for themselves because they are or feel different.</p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 3, 2020: Rule 3</strong> Naming subraces can be a thing, but does not have to be. For example, one group may call all elves elves, while a different group may refer to blood elves and wood elves separately while understanding implicitly that they are all elves. </p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 3, 2020: Rule 4</strong> There are two Calendars of the world (the ways in which time is counted): The Standard Calendar, and the Dark Reckoning. When referring to the Standard Calendar, dates are given as a year followed by the era (e.g. 1242 F.E.). Dates given in the Dark Reckoning are given as a year, followed by the era, followed by a demarcation that this is Dark Reckoning (e.g. 123 S.E. DR). The timeline of history for each calendar is as follows:</p>
<blockquote>

<p>The Standard Calendar:<br/>
Pre Eras (P.E.), counted in reverse with 1 P.E. being the year preceding 1 F.E. because Historians are unclear how long P.E. actually is. P.E. is often considered “the time before time” and is sometimes referred to as “the Era of the Gods.”<br/>
First Era (F.E). 1 F.E. marks the year in which the first Peoples (general term for inhabitants of the worlds) awoke. At this time, only the Poscom System had Peoples. 5953 F.E. marks the end of the First Era when the great destruction that began with the Great Catastrophe in 5503 F.E. ended and left the world reshaped.<br/>
Second Era (S.E.) 1 S.E. marks the founding of the Empire which united the scattered Peoples who survived the destruction. 1246 S.E. marks the end of the Second Era and the slaying of the Great Evil at the hands of Percival Oreol. The three months prior to the slaying of the Great Evil once again saw a great reshaping of the worlds.<br/>
Third Era (T.E.) 1 T.E. marks the beginning of an era of Chaos. The scars left behind by the Great Evil were not quick to heal - in the hearts of the Peoples or in the hearts of the worlds themselves. By 413 T.E. the worlds had come to the brink of collapsing, and the worlds were once again reshaped (this coincides with the Guardians sacrificing themselves to save the worlds; however, this is not widely known).<br/>
Fourth Era (Fo.E.) 1 Fo.E. marked the beginning of a great expansion as the Peoples sought out new places to live following the near-destruction of the world. It was an age of exploration, and, in this Era, the second and third solar systems were discovered and inhabited. 1728 Fo.E. marked the end of expansion when scholars discovered that, beyond the three solar systems was nothingness in which the Peoples could not survive - this nothingness is actually the Great Vastness and is inhabited by ethereal/divine beings, the Guardians, and the souls of the dead in various areas where they have been judged to belong by the Voice; however, the Peoples do not know this.<br/>
Fifth Era (Fi.E.) 1 Fi.E. is the only year in which an Era began in which a great change in the state of the worlds themselves did not occur. In 825 Fi.E., the Darkness came and began reshaping the worlds once again. 830 Fi.E. marks the defeat of the Darkness.<br/>
Sixth Era (Si.E.) 1. Si.E. marks the beginning of the current era - an era of relative peace (at least so far) after the vanquishing of the Darkness. </p>
</blockquote>


<blockquote>

<p>The Dark Reckoning (DR):<br/>
Pre Eras (P.E.), counted in reverse with 1 P.E. DR being the year preceding 1 F.E. DR because Historians are unclear how long P.E. DR actually is. P.E. DR is often considered “the time before time” and is sometimes referred to as “the Era of the Gods.”<br/>
First Era (F.E). 1 F.E. DR marks the year in which the first Peoples (general term for inhabitants of the worlds) awoke. At this time, only the Poscom System had Peoples. 5502 F.E. DR marks the year before the Great Catastrophe.<br/>
Second Era (S.E.) also termed the “Dark Era.” 1. S.E. DR marks the Great Catastrophe which begins the Great Destruction which lasted until 451 S.E. DR and drastically reshaped the worlds.<br/>
Third Era (T.E.) 1 T.E. DR marks the founding of the Empire which united the scattered Peoples who survived the destruction. 1246 T.E. DR marks the end of the Third Era and the slaying of the Great Evil at the hands of Percival Oreol. The three months prior to the slaying of the Great Evil once again saw a great reshaping of the worlds and was only just barely not made an era in Dark Reckoning because it was not a full year.<br/>
Fourth Era (Fo.E.) 1 Fo.E. DR marks the beginning of an era of Chaos. The scars left behind by the Great Evil were not quick to heal - in the hearts of the Peoples or in the hearts of the worlds themselves. By 413 Fo.E. DR, the worlds had come to the brink of collapsing, and the worlds were once again reshaped (this coincides with the Guardians sacrificing themselves to save the worlds; however, this is not widely known).<br/>
Fifth Era (Fi.E.) 1 Fi.E. DR marked the beginning of a great expansion as the Peoples sought out new places to live following the near-destruction of the world. It was an age of exploration, and, in this Era, the second and third solar systems were discovered and inhabited. 1728 Fi.E. DR marked the end of expansion when scholars discovered that, beyond the three solar systems was nothingness in which the Peoples could not survive - this nothingness is actually the Great Vastness and is inhabited by ethereal/divine beings, the Guardians, and the souls of the dead in various areas where they have been judged to belong by the Voice; however, the Peoples do not know this.<br/>
Sixth Era (Si.E.) 1 Si.E. DR is the only year in which an Era began in which a great change in the state of the worlds themselves did not occur. 824 SI.E. DR ends Si.E. DR as the last year before the coming of the Darkness.<br/>
Seventh Era (Se.E) 1 Se.E. DR marks the coming of the Darkness. 6 Se.E. DR marks the defeat of the Darkness. This is the shortest recorded era in any calendar.<br/>
Eighth Era (E.E.) 1. E.E. DR marks the beginning of the current era - an era of relative peace (at least so far) after the vanquishing of the Darkness. </p>
</blockquote>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 4, 2020: Rule 1</strong> The planets known as Tierra, Dootenya, and Qwayla exist in the Poscom System.</p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 4, 2020: Rule 2</strong> In all the planets and landmasses that exist in this world, there is a planet that does not still follow the two calendars of the world. This means that there are three Calendars of the world: Standard, Dark Reckoning, and Separatist. The timeline for the Separatist Calender is as follows:

</p>
<blockquote>

<p>The Separatist Calendar:<br/>
-In the Standard year 5505 F.E. (DR year 3 S.E.), the planet known as Qwayla isolated themselves from the other worlds.<br/>
-Qwayla announced their official isolation policies in the Standard year 5506 F.E. (DR year 4 S.E.) with the massacre of all the Peoples on the ship Dhaoinesa Orsa.<br/>
-The other worlds began calling Qwayla, Neacha Irleth, or Separate People.<br/>
-Qwayla kept the numbering from the Standard Calender of the F.E. They call their current time from the F.E. the Era of Now (E.N.).<br/>
-Era changes in the Standard and DR Calendars translated into E.N. (This is solely for clarification purposes):<br/>
</p>
<blockquote>

<p>*Standard and DR P.E. is known as Era of Before (E.B.)<br/>
*5503 E.N. is DR 1 S.E.<br/>
*5954 E.N. is DR 1 T.E.<br/>
*5954 E.N. is Standard 1 S.E.<br/>
*7200 E.N. is DR 1 Fo.E.<br/>
*7200 E.N is Standard 1 T.E.<br/>
*7612 E.N. is DR 1 Fi.E.<br/>
*7612 E.N. is Standard 1 Fo.E.<br/>
*9341 E.N. is DR 1 Si.E.<br/>
*9341 E.N. is Standard 1 Fi.E.<br/>
*10165 E.N. is DR 1 Se.E.<br/>
*10171 E.N. is DR 1 E.E.<br/>
*10171 E.N. is Standard 1 Si.E.</p>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 5, 2020: Rule 1</strong> There are ONLY three Calendars to track time in this universe.  </p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 5, 2020: Rule 2</strong> The universe reshaping did reshape Qwayla, but it did not drastically reshape Qwayla.
</p>
<blockquote>

<p>-Qwa Trees still exist<br/>
-There are still four landmasses connected to Qwayla<br/>
-There are still a variety of climates and terrains on the Qway landmasses</p>
</blockquote>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 5, 2020: Rule 3</strong> Alternate Universes/Dimensions exist, but Qwayla is not from an alternate dimension or alternate universe.</p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 6, 2020: Rule 1</strong> In T.E., there were ruins in many of the worlds left behind from the destruction during the release of the Great Evil.</p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 6, 2020: Rule 2</strong> In T.E., dark beings were present in many places, born from the release of the Great Evil, and they became more prolific as the era continued. However, after the Guardians’ sacrifice at the end of T.E., most of these dark beings disappeared.</p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 6, 2020: Rule 3</strong> Teleportation magic exits and takes different forms. However, some areas of the worlds interrupt teleportation magic, making it difficult or impossible to reach that location via teleportation.

</p>
<blockquote>

<p>The Spiritheum Dunes in Vintelium cannot be teleported into or out of.<br/>
Qwayla and its associated landmasses cannot be teleported into or out of.<br/>
Oreol Manor in Aidil Men in the Humali Kingdom cannot be teleported into</p>
</blockquote>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 6, 2020: Rule 4</strong> Guardians can use a form of instant travel that is like teleportation magic but that does not have the same restrictions placed upon it.</p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 6, 2020: Rule 5</strong> No Peoples from this universe have yet accessed any Alternate Universes/Dimensions, nor have they tried (as of 27 Si.E.), and no interdimensional travelers have made themselves known. (‘Interdimensional travelers’ here refers to both people from other universes and from other dimensions.) </p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 6, 2020: Rule 6</strong> The Voice is the entity who created the primary universe (meaning the universe in which the Guardians exist since it is the first universe we have written in. This is not to say that the primary universe was the first [though it could be], nor is it necessarily hierarchically above others). The Voice existed in the Great Vastness before anything else and created the three solar systems. The Voice also created the Guardians in the Great Vastness. In addition to the Guardians, the Voice created several entities which could be considered deities. These entities were each gifted a portion of the three solar systems to ‘manage’ (sort of like landlords). The powers of each entity differ; however, none have the ability to create Peoples.</p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 6, 2020: Rule 7</strong> The same force of darkness was involved in the Great Catastrophe, the Great Evil, and the coming of the Darkness. All three incidents began in Dootenya and then spread to the rest of the worlds.</p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 6, 2020: Rule 8</strong> During the period of Darkness from 825 Fi.E.-8:30 Fi.E. (10,165 E.N.-10170 E.N.), Qwayla suffered a plague that wiped out the majority of lifeforms on the planet and its associated landmasses. </p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 7, 2020: Rule 1</strong> Most native Qway who survived the plague (of which there are very few) left Qwayla before the plague. Some of them have returned since and begun trying to reestablish their homeland.</p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 7, 2020: Rule 2</strong> The entirety of the Council of the Nine perished during the time of the plague in Qwayla, and no new council has been established as of 27 Si.E. (10,197 E.N.).</p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 7, 2020: Rule 3</strong> Any accidental mathematical inconsistencies made while trying to correlate dates between the three reckoning systems in prior rules are void. The correct correlation of dates has been clarified and established in the Round Robin Calendars Dec 2020 document and it will be held as the official guide for converting dates.</p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 7, 2020: Rule 4</strong> Whether there was much technology before the Great Destruction (end of first era, standard calendar) or not, in the Second Era, Dootenya has medieval-fantasy style technology (e.g. horse drawn carriages, swords, bows, torches). Most things are handwritten as the printing press (or a form of it powered by magic) is a very new invention only really used to produce the newspaper and a few official documents. There is no electricity; however, there are lights that are powered by magic (these are rare in places like the Humali Kingdom which distrust magic). There is a surprisingly good plumbing system, however, and even some more technologically advanced planets have struggled to create sanitation systems as effective as those designed in Dootenya in the Second Era.</p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 7, 2020: Rule 5</strong> One of the abilities of the Guardians is to send dreams to people’s minds in order to guide them on the right path. They cannot, however, choose the content of the dreams with any great detail. A Guardian sends a dream with an intent - such as ‘help this person learn of the assassin’s plan’ which might result in many different dreams from a ‘vision-like’ dream that more or less explicitly shows what the Guardian hopes to show (e.g. the assassin talking about or carrying out his plan) to a vague dream heavy with feeling (e.g. the person wakes up with an overwhelming sense that something bad is about to happen to the assassin’s target).</p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 7, 2020: Rule 6</strong> Most deities (refer to Dec. 6 Rule 6) are not aware of the Guardians and vice versa. A select few have been granted such knowledge by the Voice.

</p>
<blockquote>

<p>Part of Aman’s ‘gift’ from the Voice was ‘awareness’ which granted him knowledge of the Guardians’ existence and some of their powers. He can also detect the presence of magic and magic-like things (like the Great Evil or the Blessing of a Guardian). As a part of this awareness, he sometimes has minor visions of the future, though these are rare and usually come to him during purposeful communion with the Voice, something which became impossible for him for a long period of time after the Great Catastrophe.<br/>
Malug has awareness of other Guardians and their whereabouts at all times (though this is of little use to him after the Great Sacrifice). He is aware of the influence of a deity on another creature and the general effect of that influence, but does not know who all the deities are, nor can he identify which deity’s influence is on a person (though he can often deduce it if he is familiar with the deity whose influence is present).</p>
</blockquote>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 7, 2020: Rule 7</strong> Aman was one of the first deities and was once the closest deity to the Voice. However, after Aman made a mistake that led to the Great Catastrophe and subsequent great destruction, his connection to the Voice weakened considerably for a long time. He didn’t know this at the time (and may or may not find out), but this weakened connection was due to his own shame and fear getting in the way (like a mental wall).</p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 7, 2020: Rule 8</strong> Amma Hleah (the Guardian who assisted Percival in the slaying of the Great Evil) only ever directly intervened once when Percival would have died without immediate medical attention, and at that time Percival was unconscious. Aman was the only one who saw Amma Hleah, and he promised not to tell anyone of her presence. He has kept his word and has not even written of her involvement in the book he later gave to Mana.</p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 7, 2020: Rule 9</strong> There are three interdimensional beings in the Second Solar System as of 58 E.E. DR.</p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 8, 2020: Rule 1</strong> Qwa Trees are more dangerous the brighter or darker they are. Qwa Trees are a light oaky wood color, any color changes may indicate explosions on the horizon. </p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 8, 2020: Rule 2</strong> Mushroom rings are sacred. Visiting without permission is almost like teleporting near Qwa Trees. Dangerous and messy for the people involved. </p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 8, 2020: Rule 3</strong> Pointing out shifter characteristics outside of family groups is rude. This is true even if you are a shifter or half-shifter. </p>
</li>

<li>

<p><strong>Dec. 9, 2020</strong>: Jule is not the kind of shifter (or half shifter) most people assume they are. Those of her race are normally mistaken for shifters, and that term could be used to describe them, but as a point of distinction, they refer to themselves as shape-changers. While shifters are born with a single animal form and half-shifters are always stuck in an in-between form, shape-changers can take any form as long as it belongs to an animal or one of the races of the world. Unlike shifters, their form does NOT change when they are heavily injured which often leads to the misperception by healers that they are half-shifters. Actually, a shape-changer is often “stuck” in whatever form they happen to be in when they are heavily injured because changing takes energy and can be painful, particularly when injured. </p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 10, 2020: Rule 1</strong> Dootenya has three moons, and each one bears a distinct color (one yellow, one blue, and one red). The moons only appear in the sky together once a year, and once every year no moon appears in the sky. The pattern in which the moons appear is detailed in the chart below: </p>
<blockquote>

<p>Month 1-Yellow<br/>
Month 2-Blue<br/>
Month 3-Red<br/>
Month 4-Blue<br/>
Month 5-Yellow<br/>
Month 6-No Moon<br/>
Month 7-Yellow<br/>
Month 8-Blue<br/>
Month 9-Red<br/>
Month 10-Blue<br/>
Month 11-Yellow<br/>
Month 12-All Moons</p>
</blockquote>
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<p><strong>Dec. 10, 2020: Rule 2</strong> The race of elves Rhîwgwaewen (Winter) belongs to counts years by cycles of the moon. One moon cycle is equivalent to one year. As such, the elves like Winter have taken to referring to their age in moons (an abbreviated form of moon cycle) where 1 moon = 1 year.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 11, 2020: Rule 1</strong> While most people believe that Percival slew the Great Evil, he actually was forced to kill his sister, Rune. This was part of a larger, necessary plan to once more banish the Great Evil through Aman’s power - something Aman had done once before.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 11, 2020: Rule 2</strong> Aman used significantly more of his power in the second banishing of the Great Evil than in the first, and this took a toll on his very existence so that he knew he would not be able to do so again, nor was he certain how long he would continue to exist. This is why he began writing the book which he later gave to Mana in which he detailed the first coming of the Great Evil (the Great Catastrophe and subsequent great destruction) which he had caused and remedied, the second coming and its resolution (at the time of Percival - Rune’s involvement had heretofore been unknown by anyone but the those directly involved), and the theory that it would come again with instructions for how to grasp Aman’s essence even after his passing. He made this book readable only by those blessed by a Guardian, for only they would be able to accomplish such a thing and survive it, and Aman still blamed himself for Rune’s death - something he did not want to be repeated.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 11, 2020: Rule 3</strong> When a deity ceases to exist, their essence remains. It is possible for another being to grasp and absorb that essence; however, most people would die from this. Other deities are capable of surviving the absorption if their gift was similar. A person blessed by one of the Guardians is also capable of surviving the absorption if the gift of the deity aligns with the purpose of the blessing. The absorption can be split between multiple people as well; however, this does not minimize the negative impacts that it can have. </p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 11, 2020: Rule 4</strong> Absorption of the essence of a deity grants limited access to the deity’s gift. Splitting the absorption between multiple people grants a greater overall access to the deity’s gift. For example, absorbing the essence of Aman would grant one person a piece of his melody, allowing that person to do minimal things like the erasing of the deer’s tracks. Split between three people, each person would get a different piece of the melody which, when used in harmony, would come closer to the complete melody and allow access to much greater powers (though not the full extent of Aman’s power by any means). </p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 11, 2020: Rule 5</strong> Dev is a reincarnation of the Great Evil that was born into the worlds sometime after the vanquishing of the Darkness by the three heroes.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 11, 2020: Rule 6</strong> Nullerne is the name of a planet that used to exist in the Poscom System. It had always been uninhabited, and then, close to the beginning of the Great Destruction, it blew up and ceased to exist. Hence, the phrase “you look like you got too close to Nullerne” has come to mean that a person is in really bad shape, usually due to injuries.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 11, 2020: Rule 7</strong> Elglins are a People known for their speed, their affinity with the earth, and their ability to minorly manipulate gravity. In appearance, they are similar to humans, though their skin is always one of three general tones: deep olive green, umber brown, or obsidian black. They tend to have brightly colored hair that contrasts their skin, and their eyes are usually a pastel color, often similar to the color of their hair. An elgin with electric blue hair, for instance, might have baby blue eyes. White hair is usually paired with grey eyes.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 14, 2020 for Dec. 12, 2020:</strong> Westwood Way is the place for all filmmaking throughout the Poscom System. It sets all standards for acting and how to create films and plays. Many move to the Westwood Way landmass to make it as a film star. Most do not succeed.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 14, 2020 for Dec. 13, 2020:</strong> Hope exists. There will never be a time without Hope. </p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 14, 2020: Rule 3</strong> Duffle bags are important. They can save your life. </p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 14, 2020: Rule 4</strong> While Malug Ullu Rusur mostly acts without making his presence known, he has always thought the insistence of Guardians avoiding revealing their presence at all costs was foolish and contrary to their purpose. Yes, their role was one of guidance, but it was also one of guards. They were meant to protect the worlds and their occupants, and if he had to make himself known to do so, he would.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 14, 2020: Rule 4</strong> The negative energy that destroyed Trei’s mushroom faerie circles came from remnants of the Great Evil. It has been slowly seeping into Trei’s faerie circles because it “sensed” the resistance to itself. The circles in Whimwallow and outside the Humali Republic survived because Trei had visited those circles most recently. If they leave them unattended too long, they will be destroyed too. The period of time they can be unattended will shorten the closer time draws to the coming of the darkness, though this can be off-set to some degree depending on the amount of time and energy Trei devotes to making protective barriers.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 16, 2020 for Dec 15, 2020:</strong> Hope is the name of a deity.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 16, 2020: Rule 2</strong> The deity called Hope was, for a period of time, not in this dimension. Part of Hope’s gift is that Hope can split her essence even while still alive and put it inside of other beings. Doing so allows her to grant a portion of her power to those beings or for her to rest and regain her strength when she would ordinarily cease to exist (thus, Hope always exists).</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 18, 2020 for Dec 17, 2020:</strong> Dev came of age and learned of their true nature in 57 Si.E. and began traveling while coming to terms with this revelation. By 58 Si.E. Dev reached the second solar system.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 18, 2020: Rule 2</strong> Flying magic requires the use of fire magic. (Credit to CoWorkers for Inspiration)</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 18, 2020: Rule 3</strong> The flesh of a Silv tree just below the outer bark is edible when cooked over the fire. It has a texture like jerky and has a woody flavor that is somewhere between savory and sweet.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 21,2020 for Dec. 19, 2020:</strong> Time is mutable. Calendars are not.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 21, 2020 for Dec. 20, 2020:</strong> Dogs are the best friend a magic-user can hope for, a shifter is better, but only due to the ability to mutually communicate.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 21, 2020: Rule 3</strong> Qwaylans were not welcome in the Poscom System after the plague hit.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 22, 2020:</strong> Resurrection magic is considered a form of taboo magic in most cultures because the only magic that brings people back from the dead turns them into puppets of the reviver, zombies, or some other form of mindless revenant.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 23, 2020: Rule 1</strong> There is a race of people known as Magis. The men of this race are warlocks and the women are witches. Occasionally, a ‘True Magi’ is born - one who is neither man nor woman and exhibits the powers of both. Warlocks are born with the ability to ‘pact’ to a spirit (their term for deities) and, in exchange for fulfilling a condition given by the spirit, they gain a portion of the spirit’s power (the deity’s gift). Witches are born with the ability to manipulate one (and only one) of the five elements: wind, water, earth, fire, and light. The degree of a Magi’s power varies. For Warlocks, it depends entirely upon the pact - how strong the spirit they are bound to is, and how much of the spirit’s power is shared (usually more power requires a bigger condition). For Witches, it depends on how much they immerse themselves in their element (a water-attribute Witch who spends a lot of time swimming, and drinks plenty of water would, for instance, likely be stronger than one who lives in a desert and prefers to drink ale).</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 23, 2020: Rule 2</strong> Every planet and landmass has a Core. If this Core is destroyed, so is the planet/landmass. A deity can absorb the power of a Core, but doing so destroys both the planet/landmass and the deity, though not all deities know this. It would take a blessing from The Voice for a deity to be able to safely absorb the power of a Core - such a thing has only happened once in all of history when, during the Pre Era, a deity asked the voice for permission to absorb the Core of a small landmass in the First Solar System in order to prevent the landmass from destroying one of the other planets which it was hurtling toward. After absorbing the Core of the landmass, the deity’s nature was changed. Formerly, it was the Deity of the Heavenly Lights, but after absorbing the Core of the landmass, it became the force of Gravity. The Core of each planet is a secret known only to The Voice, the Guardians, and certain Deities. The Peoples of the world do not know of the existence of the Cores (with the exception of a few Warlocks and True Magis whose pacts relate to the Core - though these are few, especially after the Great Catastrophe). There is only one other exception: Aman wrote about the Core Oak in the book that he gave to Mana, though he only said it was “related to the life of Dootenya” and “a great source of power which, if used, would destroy its wielder and the planet.”  
</p>
<blockquote>

<p>Dootenya’s Core is the Core Oak which, after the Great Catastrophe, was covered by a giant sand dune in the center of what became known as Spiritheum Dunes (prior to this, it was simply the central tree in Girinel Forest). The only remaining entities who know about the Core Oak are Aman, Malug Ullu Rusur, and The Voice.</p>
</blockquote>
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<p><strong>Dec. 24, 2020</strong>: After Qwayla’s isolation, Tierra and Dootenya wrote an agreement called the Agreement of Isolation of 1 S.E. The central governing body of Tierra and the Humali Empire signed the agreement shortly after the Empire was established.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 25, 2020: Rule 1</strong> Christmas is celebrated on Tierra.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 25, 2020: Rule 2</strong> While they don’t know it yet, Malug Ullu Rusur blessed Em, Greg, and Samantha as Guardian Disciples before leaving to find additional disciples because he recognized that the deity Hope had separated her essence among the three of them. This granted them immortality like it did for Mana.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 26, 2020</strong>: Dootenya celebrates Yuletide - a week-long festival that takes place during winter in the last week of the year.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 27, 2020</strong>: There is a protector of libraries who will attack anyone who attempts to destroy knowledge.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 29, 2020 for Dec. 28, 2020</strong>: Greg is not allowed to name anything, including children.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 29, 2020: Rule 2</strong> Interdimensional travel is not teleportation, even when traveling leaving and reentering the same dimension.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 29, 2020: Rule 3</strong> Interdimensional travel is nonlinear.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 30, 2020</strong>: The mark on Em and Greg’s baby girl’s back is a sign of Malug Ullu Rusur’s blessing. Since the baby was still being formed when he granted the blessing, it is stronger than other blessings he has granted. The mark’s coloring is a swirling mix of water and fire colors.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 31, 2020: Rule 1</strong> Dev gets a happy ending. Not everyone gets one of those.</p>
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<p><strong>Dec. 31, 2020: Rule 2</strong> Fred is short for Frederica.</p>
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</ol>
<h3>Redacted Story</h3><h3>
  <strong>1 December 2020</strong>
</h3><p>
  <em>Oreol Manor, Aidil Men, Humali Kingdom, 1232 Second Era (S.E.)</em>
</p><p>It was midnight, and the Oreol children were asleep as young children should be. Asmoden sighed heavily as he rushed quietly through the halls of his own house like a thief in the night, careful not to wake his wife. He hated what he was about to do, but there was no choice.</p><p>“Rune.” He shook his five year old daughter awake, shushing her and signaling for her to follow him.</p><p>__________________________________ ___________________________________ They entered the room of his three year old son. “Percival, son, wake up.”</p><p>“Father? Rune?” A bleary-eyed Percival sat up in his bed.</p><p>________________________ Asmoden picked his son up, Rune trailing behind him ___________________________ _______________________ _____________ _______</p><p>When they were out of the manor, he brought his children to his horse and placed Percival upon it, lifting Rune up next and mounting behind them both. ________________________________________ Percival asked ____________________ _____________________________</p><p>Asmoden tightened his grip on the reins. ________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________ __________________________ _____________________ Rune questioned. __________________________________ _________________________ ____________________________________________________ __________________________ Asmoden replied. ___________________________ ___________________________________________________ ______________________________ ____________________________________ ______________________ Asmoden urged the horse faster down the path toward the outskirts of town, through the forest’s edge to the place where he had sensed it. He had warned the royal family, but it seems they still distrusted the word of mages and had done nothing.</p><p>Now it was too late.</p><p>__________________________________________ ____________________________________ ________________________________ __________________ ___________ ____________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________ _____________________ ___________________________________ ______________________________ ________________________________________ ____________________________ ______________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________ ______________ ______________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ __________________ _____<br/>
“We are almost there.” Asmoden told the children when they were deep in the forest. “This will be painful, but you must bear with it.”</p><p>He felt the children shudder in fear as they came closer - he knew they could feel it. Especially Rune - her magic was even greater than his own, so she would be more sensitive to things like this. Keeping one hand on the reins, he used the other to wrap protectively around the children, hoping to calm them.</p><p>______________________ Rune’s shaking voice pierced daggers into Asmoden’s heart.</p><p>______________________________________</p><p>“A great evil.” He replied.__________________________ ______________________________________________<br/>
“We are going to seal it.” Asmoden tried to sound calm for the children. ___________________________________________ He pulled the reins to stop the horse and hopped down, helping Rune and Percival down after him. ______________________________________________ ________________________________________________</p><p>They nodded, though he could see the fear in their eyes.</p><p>____________________________________________________________________</p><p>From then, Asmoden explained what he needed the children to do. Thankfully, Rune and Percival were both intelligent and well-behaved, so even at the ages of five and three, they were able to understand and comply with the necessary arrangements _______________________ _______________________ After drawing an intricate magic circle, he had Rune lay in the center of it. He then drew a smaller circle overlapping the first on one side and had Percival lay there. The children were good and did not struggle or cry out even when he used magic to make restraints out of the earth to hold them down. ____________________________________________________________________ ___________________________ _________________________________________________ ___________________________ ________________________________ Asmoden _________________________________ _________________________________________ He steeled his nerves and went to one end of the large magic circle and began to chant. ____________________ __________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________ __________________________ He had to maintain concentration on the large flow of mana he was pouring into the seal as well as on the pronunciation of the Ancient Tongue while listening to the cries of pain from his children as the seal took effect.</p><p>A column of light shot up from the magic circle enveloping the dark form of the great evil. It screeched and fought back, but Asmoden’s seal was well-prepared and won out. In a rush, the light swallowed the darkness, and the great evil was forced inside of Rune’s small body. A smaller column of light emanated around Percival, and a sharp splinter of light cut into his palm, causing a small trickle of blood to begin flowing out. The blood eerily filled in the magic circle around him, tinging the light red. Then, it was drawn along a predetermined path in the larger circle toward the center where, all in a rush, it rose slightly into the air and dove into Rune’s chest. Asmoden continued chanting until at length the light had all been absorbed and the forest was silent and calm. </p><p>______________________ He ran to his children, breaking the magical restraints he had put on them and gathering them up in his arms. Both Rune and Percival had passed out from the pain, and he held them tightly, mumbling apologies over and over again. At length, he chanted one more spell over them - a second seal which would prevent them from speaking of this night to anyone other than each other and himself. ___________________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ____________________________ _____________ __________________________ __________________________ ____________________________________________ ___________________ _____________ ________ ______________________________ _________________________________________________________________</p><p>
  <em>Oreol Manor, Aidil Men, Humali Kingdom, 1244 S.E.</em>
</p><p>“Congratulations!” </p><p>A large room full of relatives that Rune barely knew congratulated her on turning 17. She had officially come of age today. Still, she did not feel particularly excited. Normal girls would be looking for a husband by now. She was trying to avoid that at all costs.</p><p>It had been twelve years since her father had sealed the great evil inside of her, and ten years since he died before he could release the seal on her and Percival’s ability to talk about it. Rune herself was the vessel, and Percival was the key. Her large pool of mana was a source of renewal for the seal, keeping it strengthened so that the great evil would not break out. But magic is subject to emotions. If her emotions became too strong - especially negative ones - then the seal would weaken, and the great evil would have a chance to break free. </p><p>_______________________________</p><p>Percival had no magic of his own. That was important. He could not be affected by emotions the same way a mage could, and so his blood - which shared so much in common with her own - could act as a stabilizer.</p><p>Rune shuddered as she recalled the day they learned of her father’s death. She had been struggling all day to keep the seal in check, and finally broke down that night. Evil power began leaking out of her, and Percival had rushed to her room - ever since the seal was placed, his ability to sense such things had become keener than most mages. He had used the dagger he always carried to cut his hand and forced her to drink until she calmed down, and then the two had cried together and talked until the sun came up.</p><p>Rune hated the taste of blood.</p><p>________________________________________________________________________________ Her father never wrote down the seal he had used, and he had not gotten to teaching it to her yet when he died. _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ ________ Too many people were foolish and power hungry. They would not realize, until it was too late, that the great evil sealed inside of her could not be controlled. </p><p>Still, she would not live forever. And when she died, the seal would be broken. Before then, she would need to find a suitable host and transfer the seal. Or she and Percival would have to come up with a way to destroy the great evil once and for all. ________________________ _____________________________ Their research over the years had proven fruitless. Sealing magic was not an easy topic to research since its practice was largely banned - her father was an exception as the Grand Mage of the fallen empire. He had been instructed in sealing magic as a young mage and had been one of the key voices in forbidding the use of such magic because he saw the dangers in it. But he had also voiced a concern over not teaching the subject at all because he knew the necessity of it as well. The Humali Kingdom which was established when the empire fell, however, had a great distrust of magic and had not listened to this caution.</p><p>As for how to destroy the great evil - even her father had no answer to that. He had told Rune and Percival that, had the royal family listened to his warnings, they could have prevented the great evil from coming into this world in the first place, but now that it was here, he knew of no power great enough to destroy it. He had also cautioned that the seal should not be shifted before it became absolutely necessary to do so, since every time the seal was shifted, it would be weakened, and the great evil would have a chance to escape which is why he had sealed it inside of Rune and not himself - aside from the fact that he could not perform the seal at the same time as being the subject of it. She was younger, and so it would be a longer period of time before a shift was necessary.</p><p>____________</p><p>“Rune.” Percival tapped her on the shoulder. “Come on.”</p><p>Her coming of age celebration had been going on for a while now, and she was very tired of it, so she was more than glad when her now fifteen year old brother came to spirit her away while the guests were distracted by her fifth cousin’s poor attempt at juggling.<br/>
 <br/>
2 December 2020</p><p>
  <em>The Smithy, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fourth Era (Fo.E.)</em>
</p><p>Taylor had another fool walk in and just try to pick up a glowing hot horseshoe. Then the fool had the audacity to want Taylor to give him a discount! Taylor was very unhappy with this patron of their smithy and sent him to the healer just next door.</p><p>Taylor and Adrian, the Vulpine Healer, became acquaintances primarily due to the location of their places of business. ________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________ _____________________________. Taylor ____________________________________ __________________________. As they were cursing at the new process and their injuries, the Vulpine Healer had heard Taylor’s low cursing. It had intrigued them and they walked over to see what had gotten their blacksmith neighbor to use so many interesting new words. </p><p>Adrian had strolled in as casually as they could be, while still sporadically sheathing and unsheathing their claws, and asked, “What is with all this ruckus?”</p><p>Taylor ____________________________ ________________________________ ____________________________________________ ________________________________.</p><p>“Oh? I enjoy seeing someone bleed to death… but only if I caused them to be that way.” They held a paw with sheathed claws out to Taylor in an introduction. “I’m Adrian, the healer next door.”</p><p>Taylor had laughed and almost injured themself further after Adrian’s claim about making people bleed and being a healer.</p><p>Adrian healed them ________________________________ ________________________________ __________________________________ Denny Fairé, _________________ ____________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Taylor ____________________________ Adrian _______________________ ...Adrian _________________________________________ _____________________________________________. </p><p>The smithy and the shifter healer bonded over the stupidity found in the masses ________________ Second Era _______ Percival __________________________________________________ Percival ___________________________________ They adamantly disagreed with each other. It was only brought up when one of them needed to argue with someone without drawing blood. (No one else was talented enough with a weapon to almost outlast an angry fox shifter. Taylor was one of the few people on the entirely of Laoned Mass that had the stamina to match Adrian.)</p><p>Taylor knew sending their foolish patron would annoy Adrian. Taylor was also hoping that the foolish patron would not leave the healer without an additional injury because of his attitude. Adrian was known as the “Clawing Healer” for a reason.</p><p>Taylor went back to shaping horseshoes. They had to inspect the one that the foolish man had handled before attempting to work on it again. Taylor has a system for working on multiple shoes at once and the man ruined one-fifth of several hours worth of work. Taylor was really hoping the man left Adrian’s healing house clawed as well as still slightly singed. (Adrian was that good of a healer at only 20 summers.) </p><p>Taylor had moved to Denny Fairé several years ago to escape their large and meddling family. They kept insisting Taylor choose a gender and for Taylor to work on the gravitational fields for the large non-planetary masses in the Poscom System, where the Humali Kingdom was located in the Second Era. Taylor did not want to do either of those things and much preferred their family to stay out of their business. Taylor had purposefully moved without telling any of their family where they were going and had moved to a largely unknown solar system. They had wanted a simple life: eat, sleep, and make things. Taylor thought that their life now was pretty good.</p><p>Adrian had moved back to Denny Fairé when they had finished their healing apprenticeship. They were the youngest to finish an apprenticeship for healing since the First Era. (The First Era had a really large death rate because the healers weren’t trained long enough. It is the only reason that Adrian doesn’t hold the record for youngest.) They didn’t really feel accomplished for finishing the apprenticeship because they realized early in the apprenticeship that whatever had caused their untwin to die was not something easily healed with the power they or any healer had. </p><p>Adrian liked Denny Fairé. _____________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ ________________________________________ Denny Fairé. __________________________________________________ Adrian was only eight summers and so was his untwin. Adrian refused to leave his untwin behind. ___________________________. Adrian wrote letters to their parents and siblings. (Adrian was born in their parents’ first litter. They only met their youngest littermates twice.) There became a longer and longer wait in between letters because Adrian rarely had the most recent address to send mail to their family. As Adrian _________________________________________ ______________________________ The two were inseparable. Most beings who didn’t know that Adrian was a shifter believed them to be twins because both of them had sun-red hair, dark brown eyes, and a lovely light tan skin that freckled horribly from the dual suns that shone on Laoned Mass. </p><h3>
  <strong>3 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>The Great Vastness, 1 Pre Eras (P.E.)</em>
</p><p>“In the coming time, I will make the worlds and all that inhabit them, and they will need Guardians to protect them and help them grow.” the Voice echoes in their minds. “You, my dear dragons, will be the Guardians.”</p><p>
  <em>House of Guardians, The Great Vastness, 27 Sixth Era (Si.E.)</em>
</p><p>The First Era lasted 5,953 years, but the dragons’ souls had existed as part of the Great Vastness since 173 Pre Eras (P.E.). In 1P.E., the Voice coalesced their souls, giving them material bodies and naming them Guardians, ones who would look after the worlds. The Voice also created the House of Guardians in the Great Vastness for Guardians to rest in when they were not in the worlds and for young dragons to grow in before becoming Guardians. </p><p>Born and given the name Malug by his parents in 1244 Second Era (S.E.), he had yet to leave the House of Guardians when the Second Era ended in 1246 S.E. three months after the seal the human mage Asmoden Oreol had used to seal the Great Evil in his daughter Rune Oreol broke. It had been her brother, Percival Oreol, who vanquished the Great Evil with the aid of Amma Hleah - a Guardian with an affinity for healing. Thus began the Third Era (T.E.)</p><p>Malug first ventured into the worlds in 98 T.E. at one hundred years of age, and he witnessed the unstable state the three-month release of the Great Evil had wrought. As chaos enveloped the Third Era, the Guardians began spending more time away from the House of Guardians as they did their part to try and save the worlds the Voice had called upon them to protect. Malug, still a young dragon, was forbidden from leaving the safety of the House of Guardians by 282 T.E. In 413 T.E., the worlds began collapsing, and the Guardians used all their power to save them, ultimately sacrificing their own lives as the Third Era ended.</p><p>On the first day of the Fourth Era (Fo.E.), the Voice named him Malug Ullu Rusur, the Last Guardian.</p><p>Malug Ullu Rusur watched over the worlds as they restructured during the Fourth Era. By 1728 Fo.E. when the era came to an uneasy yet hopeful end, he had found three inhabitants of the worlds to bless in preparation for the darkness the Voice warned him was coming. The first of these three was Trei Eknal, a fae who had shown great resistance to the Great Evil during the Second Era. In 1683 Fo.E., Malug Ullu Rusur blessed Trei with the ability to manifest this resistance as a protective barrier and gave Trei a piece of his dragon soul that granted Trei an affinity with <em>ullu</em>, water. </p><p>The second of the three was a young elf named Rhîwgwaewen who at the tender age of 98 had lost her sight and nearly frozen to death after giving her only cloak to a human woman trying to protect her child from the cold. In 1712 Fo.E., having sensed the depth of her heart, Malug Ullu Rusur blessed Rhîwgwaewen the ability to use the depth of her heart to strengthen and shape her magic and gave her a piece of his dragon soul which granted her resistance to cold and a great affinity with frost and other forms of ice, the coldest form of <em>ullu</em>. </p><p>Finally, in 1728 Fo.E., Malug Ullu Rusur found the last of the three, Mana, a human child born at the changing of the eras. He had felt the curiosity and kindness in her soul and knew this infant had great potential. So it was that on the last day of the Fourth Era, Malug Ullu Usur blessed Mana with a large pool of magical energy and gave her a piece of his dragon soul which would extend her life beyond that of an ordinary human and strengthen her affinity to <em>rusur</em>, fire.</p><p>During the Fifth Era (Fi.E.) Malug Ullu Rusur had watched over these three beings who he personally considered the Guardian Disciples (though he had kept his blessings secret, so the inhabitants of the world had no knowledge of the blessings). He occasionally intervened in small ways to nudge the Guardian Disciples closer to finding each other so they would unite before they were needed. When the darkness came in 825 Fi.E., the Guardian Disciples began the fight against it, and in 830 Fi.E., they vanquished the darkness, ushering in the next era.</p><p>The Sixth Era (Si.E.) had begun with peace and joy, allowing Malug Ullu Rusur to remain in the House of Guardians and rest for a time. Now, however, as he reached his three-thousandth year, in 27 Si.E., it was once again time for Malug Ullu Rusur to take up the mantle of Guardian and begin searching the worlds for new Guardian Disciples.</p><p>
  <em>Oreol Manor, Aidil Men, Humali Kingdom, 1244 S.E.</em>
</p><p>_________________________ Rune guffawed. </p><p>She and Percival were sitting, huddled together in the space behind the stairwell that led up to the Grand Library which had been their secret base since they were little. Of course, they fit better in their younger years. _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ </p><p> ___________________________ ________________________________ _______________________ Still, this was the one place in the entirety of Oreol Manor that no one ___________________ _______________________________ would be able to find them. And - as they were still hiding from the coming of age ceremony - they really didn’t want to be found.</p><p>“I said, why don’t we go to Vintelium and look for the Lost Notes?” Percival repeated himself.</p><p>Rune shook her head in disbelief. “You want to leave the kingdom to visit the nation which is most hostile to us and search the entire territory for the notes of a scholar who disappeared more than a millenia ago.”</p><p>“Nothing else is working.” Percival looked her in the eyes. “You’re of age now, so Mother can’t argue - and you can act as my guardian to get past the border.”</p><p>Rune _______________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _____________________ _________________ _______________________________________________ _____________________________ _________________________________ ________________</p><p>“What about Mother?”</p><p>_________________ Percival ___________________________________________________</p><p>Rune shook her head. “We’d be leaving her alone.” </p><p>Percival gave a heavy sigh. “Yes.” His tone was sullen. “But we would have to do that eventually anyway.”</p><p>
  <em>Spiritheum Dunes, Vintelium, 1244 S.E.</em>
</p><p>A vast sea of sand stretched out as far as the eye could see, spotted here and there by mountainous dunes. It hadn’t rained here since 5503 F.E. when the once lush forest of Girinel was wiped out in the Great Catastrophe along with all life that had been there.</p><p>No one knows what caused it, but the Great Catastrophe had been the beginning of a great wave of destruction which reshaped the world and ended as suddenly as it began 450 years later, ushering in the Second Era when the Empire formed to unite the scattered and struggling peoples of the world who yet remained. Some historians still argued that the period from 5503 F.E. to 5953 F.E. should stand alone and be called “the Dark Era,” ________________________________________________________________________________ a time which sharply contrasts the years before and following it _____________________________________________________ However, other scholars claimed it was “the violent end of the beginning” ________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________. The latter theory had won out in the making of the calendars - except in certain regions which use “Dark Reckoning.”</p><p>Nothing lived in the Spiritheum Dunes. Nothing, that is, except the occasional wandering spirit which had yet to pass on, for such spirits need no sustenance. And yet, deep in the center of this dessert, a particularly tall dune of sand began to quiver at its base. ________________ ________________ ___________________________________________ _____________________________________</p><p>________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ a youthful looking man tall in stature, lithe in form. His glimmering golden eyes and ever so slightly pointed ears suggested he was not human; however, what he was… that was hard to say. Most would probably assume he was an elf.</p><p>Aman ______________________________________________________________ He was unsure how long he had slept, but he knew it had been for a very long time.</p><p>_____________________________</p><p>At length, he came across one of the spirits wandering the dunes.</p><p>____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________</p><p>What the spirit said in reply, it is hard to say. Aman nodded at the spirit after a while and thanked it as if he had learned all he needed to, but anyone else would have sworn that the spirit never made a sound.</p><p>“Then,” Aman questioned after listening to the spirit for a while longer, “do you know why I have awoken?”</p><p>
  <em>The Clawed Healer, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fourth Era (Fo.E.)</em>
</p><p>“What kind of healer are you?!” The man screamed as he ran out of the Clawed Healer, blood streaming from his fresh wounds.</p><h3>
  <strong>4 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, Poscom System, 10,140 E.N.</em>
</p><p>The third planet in the Poscom System was named Qwayla by the Peoples who first settled there. They were leaving the overreach of the government on the First Planet, Tierra. Qwayla was named after the being who funded this exodus from Tierra, Qwin Aylana. </p><p>Qwayla was a beautiful planet. It had four landmassess of substantial size and worth. The four landmasses had all sorts of lovely terrains and climates. </p><p>A few years after Qwayla was settled, the Qways discovered the elements Silicon and Lithium in high quantities on the largest landmass which the Qways called Gian. These elements were in high demand by Tierra due to the large amounts of technology that existed on that world. (Tierra was a world with little mana.)</p><p>It took a few more years after the discovery of Silicon and Lithium for some enterprising Qways to discover that Isatemukeh, the smallest landmass, had the best soil for food and fiber crops. </p><p>Aylana brought the equipment to mine and farm effectively piece by piece, hiding how prosperous she knew her new colony planet would be. Aylana lived on Tierra for nearly two decades after Qwayla was settled, making frequent trips to her planet for supply runs. A year after Aylana permanently settled to her planet, she struck ruthlessly lucrative trading deals with the other two populated planets in the Poscom System: Tierra and Dootenya. These deals rapidly made Qwayla a very wealthy planet. People were trying to leave Tierra and Dootenya to make their fortunes on Qwayla. Qwayla denied more than 90 percent of Peoples trying to settle on Qwayla outside of the original settlement deal. </p><p>Any Peoples of the Poscom System could visit Qwayla for a short period of time (no longer than a Standard month), but they could not move there permanently.  </p><p>The visiting areas of Qwayla were the beaches of Cheyenne, the second largest landmass, and the mountains of Macaonit. Cheyenne also boasted the capital city of Qwayla, Ratrid, where visiting dignitaries would dine with Aylana or another elected being into the ruling Council of Nine. </p><p>Aylana had a lot of power on the planet due to all the wonderful things she had done for Qwayla and the Qways. She had brought them there and helped establish a wonderful lifestyle of freedom and joy. </p><p>One of her secrets, however, was that Aylana had children on Tierra. She had married young and to money. Her husband died, left her with three children and his fortune. She funneled most of his fortune into Qwayla and divided the remaining eighth between the three. It was less money than the three wanted and the eldest and youngest demanded shares in Qwayla. Aylana told them the truth, Qwayla has no shares. She had provided the money with no demands upon it. Her eldest and youngest were furious and tried to sue her. The lawsuit failed in the courts on Tierra. They had tried to emigrate to Qwayla and take control of one of the mines, but they were barred from landing on the planet. </p><p>The middle child was calm, canny, calculating, and thanks to his siblings, condemned to living his life away from his beloved mother. The Council of Nine had banned all of Aylana’s biological children from the planet. The Nine knew what his siblings did and tarred him with the same brush. The Nine was protective of their benefactor. _____________________. </p><p>Frank was told all of this by his male DNA donor. He had no idea why this man found him or why he was telling him all about the history of the planet he grew up on. All of this information was basic history that children learned in their first four years of school.</p><p>“Francis-”</p><p>“YOU do not get to call me Francis!” Frank growled, aggressively stepping toward the other man, veins bulging from his hands, clenched at his side. </p><p>The other man sighed. “Frank, then. I am the bearer of bad news. The second son that I was talking about? He sent his children to be raised on Qwayla by his mother and his wife. The Nine didn’t care about <em>his</em> children, but Aylana’s other two children? They <em>and their descendents</em> are banned from ever living on the grounded landmasses of Qwayla. The Nine haven’t extended this ban to the constructed moon of Qwayla, but The Nine hasn’t looked at Aylana’s descendents for years.”</p><p>“What does this have to do with me?” Frank’s tone was both resigned and aggressive. </p><p>“I’m the many great-grandson of Aylana...from her daughter.”</p><p>“So, because of you, someone I have only seen pictures of before this day, I am not allowed to live in the apartment I rent, be a citizen of the town, landmass, and planet I live on?”</p><p>“Umm…”</p><p>“Yes or no.”</p><p>As Frank walked out of the room, he rubbed his bloody knuckles and thought over the dire tone that the yes was said in.</p><p>Frank lived on Cheyenne. It, before the Separation, became famous for its beautiful beaches. The beaches, ten millennia later, were still beautiful and pristine. Frank wasn’t alive during the two great reshapings. The first transformed the once beautiful beaches into deserts and the second changed these deserts back into beaches, but not as pristine as before. </p><p>Frank walked over to his beach thinking spot and contemplated what this new knowledge could mean to him. He grew up on stories of how wholesome and benevolent The Nine are. This story about Aylana’s descendents sounded off somehow. </p><p>
  <em>Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, Poscom System, 10,140 E.N.</em>
</p><p>‘Ratrid was the worst city on Cheyenne to act in,’ Inani Truella thought. They were lucky that they had discovered their talent at such a young age, but they were also annoyed with having to deal with the restrictions placed by The Nine. </p><p>Actors and plays were not allowed to dramatize the heartbreak of Qwin Aylana. They were not allowed to mention the other planets in the Poscom System. They were not allowed to mention the reason for the Separation. This restriction had been laid down in 10,136 E.N. thanks to a rather poor playwright that somehow was able to get that horribly written piece of garbage produced for a Ratrid stage. The playwright was banished from Qwayla and his citizenship revoked because of this play. </p><p>Inani was the greatest actor of their time, but even they knew that criticising The Nine and the handling of Aylana’s Qway estate was not the way to have an enduring career. Admittedly, Inani wanted desperately to leave Qwayla to act. They wanted to know if they truly were the greatest actor of their time or only the greatest actor on Qwayla. </p><p>
  <em>Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, Poscom System, early 5503 E.N.</em>
</p><p>The Nine were terrified. Something was happening to their trade vessels to Tierra and Dootenya. The citizens that left came back changed. They were angrier and more destructive. They drank more. They became less productive members of society. When these citizens were arrested, they became outraged, like they had forgotten the laws that applied to them as citizens.</p><p>But then they noticed it wasn’t just the Qways that they were noticing this behavior from; it was also the visitors. Dignitaries wanted to completely renegotiate contracts that had been negotiated less than two months prior and were not due for renegotiation for another ten months. Non-dignitary visitors were destroying the Mountains in Macaonit with their excursions off of the designated hiking paths and camping in restricted areas. Someone almost burned the forest of Qwa trees. Qwa trees were trees native to the mountainous regions of Macaonit and they supplied the majority of the breathable air to the atmosphere of Qwayla. </p><p>Losing one standard acre of Qwa trees would devastate the atmosphere around Qwayla for at least 100 years, the time it would take for newly planted Qwa trees to produce the needed breathable air for a child. Qwa trees were incredibly slow growing and although Qwa trees are renowned throughout the Poscom System for being the best to build things with, they are also a very particular tree to grow even on Qwayla.</p><h3>
  <strong>5 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, Poscom System, late 5503 E.N.</em>
</p><p>The Nine were very unhappy to discover that their wishes for change to not come to Qwayla were inaccurate. There had been a Great Catastrophe. The ramifications of that catastrophe reverberated throughout the rest of the universe. Many were dead, Dootenya had lost the forest of Girinel, and the Poscom System had one less planet in it. All of this happened in less than a year. </p><p>These catastrophic reverberations led to riots and violence throughout the rest of the system. Qwayla was no exception. The major point that The Nine had noticed was that the violence and riots on Qwayla were predominantly begun by non-Qways. This was a continuation of the behavior The Nine saw in the beginning of the year 5503 E.N. </p><p>They began to discuss in private sessions what they should do about this crisis. They debated for a year and reached a conclusion. They would close Qwayla to outsiders permanently.</p><p>
  <em>Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, Poscom System, 5505 E.N.</em>
</p><p>
  <em></em></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <em><span class="u">A Memorandum to the Council of Nine:</span><br/>
Date: Day 7 of Qon of Year 5505</em>
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  <p>All non-citizens have finished their visits in Macaonit. They are traveling to their planets of origin. </p>
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  <p>There are two groups of non-citizens on their visits to Cheyenne. One group is visiting the Southern Beaches and the other group is visiting Lake Qwi. Both groups will leave in one week. </p>
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  <p>The groups on Cheyenne are the last group of non-citizens visiting. </p>
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  <p><span class="u">A Memorandum to the Council of Nine:</span><br/>
Date: Day 15 of Tol of Year 5505</p>
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    <em></em>
  </p>
  <p>The plan for an artificial landmass to be in orbit is well underway.   </p>
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    <em></em>
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  <p>Building is anticipated to begin shortly and to be completed by Yal of 5506.</p>
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  <p>The artificial landmass will be habitable for willing Qway citizens to move permanently by Twil of 5506.</p>
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    <em></em>
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</div><em>Dhaoinesa Orsa, Outside Orbit of Qwayla, Poscom System, 5506 E.N.</em><p>The captain was running low on supplies. The nearest planet was Qwayla. He hailed the planet requesting permission to land and resupply. It wasn’t an emergency resupply but traveling on the ship would be uncomfortable by week three due to rationing. </p><p>There was no response from Qwayla. </p><p>He hailed them again. “This is the captain of the <em>Dhaoinesa Orsa</em>. I am requesting to land and resupply my ship.”</p><p>“<em>Dhaoinesa Orsa</em>, please cease and desist. You are not welcome. Leave.”</p><p>The captain was stunned. He had been making this run for three decades now and Qwayla had never turned him away before. He shivered.</p><p>“<em>Dhaoinesa Orsa</em>, if you do not remove yourself from Qway orbit, you will be forcibly removed from Qway orbit. Comply.”</p><p>The captain was in shock. ‘What happened to Qwayla?’ he thought.</p><p>A few moments later, he knew no more.</p><p>
  <em>Tierra, Poscom System, 5506 F.E.</em>
</p><p>“In news today, the ship traveling to the planet Marvané, the <em>Dhaoinesa Orsa</em>, was discovered in pieces just outside of the orbit of the planet Qwayla. Officials in the Ministry of Travel were unable to get a hold of any Qway representative at this time. This news station also discovered that Qway representatives could not be reached for comment.”</p><p>
  <em>Dootenya, Poscom System, 5506 F.E.</em>
</p><p>A newspaper headline: “Qwayla closed for good: <em>Dhaoinesa Orsa</em> destroyed by new Qway defense system”</p><p>
  <em>Qwayla, Poscom System, 5606 E.N.</em>
</p><p>Excerpts from a Qway textbook on time: “Qwayla defines two different eras in time: the Era of Before and the Era of Now. The Era of Before is abbreviated with the letters E.B. and the Era of Now is shortened to E.N.” </p><p>“Qwayla separates its year into 10 segments called months. These months are called Qon, Yal, Ana, Qot, Tol, Niw, Nal, Wit, Nine, and Twil. Tol is the shortest month; it only has 21 days.”  </p><p>An excerpt from a Qway history book: “The Separation began in Qon, 5505 E.N. The Separation happened due to poor behavior on the part of Visitors to Qwayla over the span of many years. These Visitors were teaching against the Qway way of life.”</p><p>***</p><h3>
  <strong> 6 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>Ruins of Whispvale, near Corrupted Spiritheum Dunes, Old Vintelium, 54 T.E.</em>
</p><p>Jes ran as fast as they possibly could without dropping the artifacts they’d managed to salvage from the Whispvale Ruins. The shadow creatures were chasing them, and they didn’t want to end up like the corpses of the looters they had spotted. It wasn’t pretty.</p><p>At any rate, Jes felt proud to have managed to infiltrate the ruins known for having the highest concentration of shadow creatures and even managing to recover some relics from the final assault on the Great Evil. These would be perfect for their latest invention.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Somewhere in the Frozen Hills, Glacia Minu, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>Someone was lost in the deep snow of the Frozen Hills. The mountain range was unforgiving even in the warmest and fairest weather, and it was now the dead of winter. Normally, people avoided these mountains, but it had seemed like a calm enough day at the start, and since the Frozen Hills spanned thousands of miles, crossing them was the fastest route to reach Ranade’s capital assuming the harsh range didn’t stop your path cold. </p><p>The blizzard had come with no warning, and an avalanche quickly followed. Digging up through the snow had taken too much energy. Eyes were slowly drifting closed as the cold made everything numb and slowed breaths to a dangerous degree. The winds were still whipping snow through the air violently, ensuring that everything was blanketed in white.</p><p>Just as everything was beginning to grow dark - a strange contrast to the frozen white world - a shape began to appear in the storm. It was vague, almost passable for a phantom born from imagination. Like the rest of the world, the form was entirely white. No, not entirely. There were two blue orbs, glowing vaguely in an eerie sort of way. </p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Ice Block, Frozen Hills, Glacia Minu, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>It had been about two days since Rhîwgwaewen arrived in Ice Block, a small village nestled quietly inside the Frozen Hills. She hadn’t intended on stopping here, but when she had found someone lost in the blizzard, she couldn’t just walk away. A frozen death was not something she would wish on anyone.</p><p>It had been fortunate that Ice Block was not far from where she’d found the individual. She would have been fine by herself, but she had no way to share her cold resistance, and trying starting a fire out in the elements during that blizzard would have been futile.</p><p>Originally, Rhîwgwaewen had intended to depart immediately after leaving the stranger in the care of the villagers, but the villagers would not hear of her walking back into a blizzard. Instead, they had bundled her in layers upon layers of animal skins and placed her by a warm fire to drive away the cold. It was futile, but they neither knew nor would understand if she tried to explain. She was always cold.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Mushroom Faerie Circle, Whimwallow Grove, Ranaka Forest, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>The elves who lived in Ranaka forest had warned the traveler to avoid Whimwallow Grove, but the traveler did not heed their warning, too interested in rumors of a faerie circle. But wandering into a faerie circle is dangerous, especially in Whimwallow Grove. The traveler would soon find out what happens to those who let the thrill of adventure blind them to reason.</p><p>***</p><h3>
  <strong>7 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>Humali Kingdom-Vintelium Border, late 1244 S.E.</em>
</p><p>It had taken over half a year for Rune and Percival to reach the eastern edge of the Humali Kingdom. 1244 S.E. was nearing its end as winter set in with full force, and their funds were low. ____________________________ ______________________________________________ after their father’s passing, the royal family had made the already small pension of an ‘empiric baron’ even smaller. They had already dismissed all the servants except for a few loyal maids and manservants who refused to leave even though they could only be provided with a place to stay and no wages. One manservant had even gotten an additional job and donated a portion of his wages to the Oreol family every month.</p><p>“Here, sister.” Percival wrapped his cloak around Rune’s shoulders as they came closer to the gate that led out of the kingdom. </p><p>Rune pushed the cloak back to her brother. ________________________ ____________________________<br/>
Percival a look _________________________ ______________________ but took the cloak back all the same.</p><p>The border town was small, and Rune doubted there had been visitors in years - what with the threat of war always looming over the area. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ A few people wandered around bundled in heavy furs, much warmer than what Rune and Percival wore, but most were comfortably inside their small houses, _____________________________________________________ Even the few merchants in the town had their shops closed __________________________________________ Rune _____________________________________________________________________ If it had been later in the evening when they had reached the town, and if they had more than the paltry six gold and fifty silvers which hung in a pouch at her waist (about half of which would be spent on the border toll), Rune might have suggested getting a room at the inn.</p><p>___________________________ The sun had just reached its peak in the sky and the days were long in winter, so they had several hours of daylight left, and they could not afford a night’s stay in an inn anyway. So, Rune and Percival made their way toward the stone wall with the gruff and grumpy looking guards - _________________________________ __________________________________ dressed in metal armor.</p><p>“Halt.” The taller - and wider - of the two guards stated in an imperious and bored voice. “If you wish to pass the border, let me see your papers and the toll.” He elbowed his fellow guard who had just fallen asleep where he stood.</p><p>Rune ________________________________________ the identification scrolls and 3 gold ______________________ ______________________ “Rune and Percival Oreol of the Oreol Barony,” she announced, passing them to the first guard.</p><p>While his colleague checked their documentation, the guard who had just woken up eyed Rune and Percival inquisitively. “What brings two young’uns from a Barony on the clear other side o’ the kingdom to the Vintelium border? ________________________________”</p><p>______Rune _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ ________________________ ___________________________</p><p>“I made a rather unfortunate bet, and now I have to see it through.” Percival always impressed Rune with his ability to fabricate the truth convincingly. Thankfully, he never did that to her - only to help her. “And since I am a minor, my sister had to accompany me as a guardian.”</p><p>“All good.” The first guard passed the identification papers back and put the gold coins in a chest by his feet. “Open the gate!” _________________________ _________________________________________ ______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _____________________________________________</p><p>As the large wooden doors of the gate creaked open and Rune and Percival hurried through, the second guard called after them. “Best take care. There ain’t another town for a good hundred miles!”</p><p>Rune and Percival exchanged worried glances but kept moving nonetheless. Hopefully between her magic, his swordsmanship and the survival training their father had put them through in case they ever had to flee the Barony they would be able to survive a week or two in the harsh winter wild.</p><p>
  <em>The Clawed Healer, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fo.E.</em>
</p><p>Adrian was considering closing the shop just long enough to go next door and let Taylor know just how greatly he didn’t appreciate the business their friend sent their way. ______________________________________ ____________________________________</p><p>But right when Adrian was getting up to turn around the ‘open’ sign, a cloaked figure darted in before collapsing at Adrian’s feet. Under the dark cloak, Adrian made out leather armor that had been torn to shreds exposing dusty brown skin that was now stained red with fresh blood that Adrian could tell at a glance was coming from multiple places at once.</p><p>Adrian ____________Taylor _____.</p><p>Adrian brought the injured person into his shop, careful not to make the already bad injuries any worse and put them on a cot before scurrying off to a shelf for medicine and bandages to apply in addition to healing magic. Evidenced by the sleek black ears, mane-like hair and tail, and hoofed feet coupled with the otherwise human appearance, this person was half-horse shifter, half-human ________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ </p><p>You can always tell a half shifter from a shifter because a full-blooded shifter will revert to animal form when heavily injured - unless they’ve contracted HUM-flu or were cursed. ______________________________________ Half-shifters don’t have a complete animal form - they’re stuck in a sort of in-between appearance that has more animal characteristics than the humanoid form of a normal shifter. A full-horse shifter would, for instance, have human-like feet in humanoid form, not the hooves that Adrian’s current patient had.</p><p>Mixed shifters were another matter entirely, and one Adrian really didn’t want to bother thinking about at the moment. _____________________________ ______________________ with blood from two different shifter tribes ______________________ _________________________________ _______________________________________________ put a lot of ancient mythos in perspective.</p><p>After a moment of assessing the patient’s wounds and discovering an ID plate with the name ‘Jule’ on it, Adrian realized they would need help and darted next door to the smithy.</p><p>“Taylor, get over here. Now.” Adrian called ____________________________ _____________________________________________</p><p>Taylor appeared from behind their forge, took off the protective gear they had been wearing, and headed toward Adrian with hands raised. ______________ ____________________________________________________</p><p>__________________ Adrian stated, grabbing Taylor’s hand and pulling them to the Clawed Healer as rapidly as possible. “I’ve got a dying half-horse over here and I need your help.” After a moment Adrian added. _________________________________________________</p><p>
  <em>Somewhere in central Vintelium, late 1244 S.E.</em>
</p><p>Aman could feel it coming closer. ____________________ ____________________________________________________ ________________________ ___________ _______________________________ ______________</p><p>Strangely, it seemed to be contained as if it had a vessel which was holding it in check. With luck, __________________________________________ _________________________- something that would buy Aman enough time to find a more permanent solution.</p><p>_______________________________________ ________________________________ Aman sat down under a particularly nice tree at one edge of a clearing in the forest he was currently passing through and tried to stretch his consciousness out to the Voice. He hadn’t heard the Voice speak to him since before his great mistake which nearly destroyed so many lives, but he would not stop trying to call out, though he doubted he was worthy of a reply. The Voice had the answer he needed. He was sure of it.</p><p>He sighed as he felt his consciousness reaching out into an infinite vastness and being bombarded with sensations of all kinds - none of which were the Voice. At length, he could sustain the effort no more and let his consciousness return to his body. _____________ ______________________ for a moment all his senses halted and there was nothingness around him. Then, ________________________ ________________</p><p>The hooting of the winter owls, the crisp, barky scent of the Silv trees, the cold of the deep snow and its weight pressing against his legs, the harsh light of the mid-morning sun cutting through the gap on the canopy that was over the clearing he sat in, and even the sharp, clear taste of the morning chill on his tongue as he breathed in and out.</p><p>A young reindeer darting by caught Aman’s attention. It was quite young, and in its wake the snow had been tinged red. Aman rose quickly and followed the injured deer, keeping his ears open ______________________________________________________ ________________ __________________________________________________ __________________ __________________________ _____________________________</p><p>Aman breathed in deeply, assessing how much he could hope to accomplish in his current state __________________________________________. He turned from his pursuit of the reindeer long enough to stretch out his hands and sing a soft, enchanting melody which had no name and no kith or kin in this world. None but Aman could sing it, for it was his ‘gift.’</p><p>As he sang, his golden eyes seemed to glow and a gentle light of a similar hue trickled out from his fingertips, dancing across the snow and making it look as though the reindeer’s tracks ended suddenly at the clearing.</p><p>Singing as he went, he resumed following the reindeer, and as he did, its tracks vanished so that no one would have ever known they were there. Aman himself left no tracks either, though this was simply part of his nature. He could pass anywhere he wished without leaving a trace unless he desired to do so_____________________________</p><p>
  <em>Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, Poscom System, 10,148 E.N.</em>
</p><p>It was strange, Inani decided, to attend one’s own funeral.</p><p>_______________ ______________________________________________________________ __________________________________________. But this was the only way Inani could think of to get away from Qwayla. They had found a smuggler who was willing to take them away from Qwayla (or ‘Malke Virethorn’ anyway - that was the fake identity Inani had created for the express purpose of escaping this planet). Then, they had leaked rumors of having an incurable illness and found a doctor sympathetic to the ‘plight of the stars’ who would sign a fake death certificate. They had told the doctor they simply wanted to retire and not be stuck in the limelight. Add on a closed-casket funeral, and the whole affair was settled. </p><p>Except that the smuggler had a delay and had to postpone departure for another day.</p><p>And so here they were, dressed in disguise _______________________________________________ attending their own funeral as a ‘die-hard-fan.’ _____They had nowhere else to go other than the smuggler’s hideout (which was cramped and smelly) since they had - officially - died. Their home was already up for auction, and they weren’t going to risk being caught ‘freeloading’ and being either locked up or discovered.</p><p>“Inani Truella was_________________________________ ______________________________________________________” Inani’s manager began their eulogy. “____________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________ ______________________________________ _______________________________________________________.”</p><p>The eulogy went on, heaping praise upon praise upon Inani’s talent, never once mentioning anything about who they were as a person - which was honestly the way Inani preferred it. They lived and breathed the theatre, so in a sense all the characters they played were Inani and Inani was them. </p><p>____ Inani ____________________</p><p>Inani wanted to be the greatest actor of all time, not on the censored and isolated stage of Qwayla, but on the grand stage of the universe where anything was possible.</p><p>‘Soon.’ Inani thought. ‘Soon.’</p><p>
  <em>Ruins of Oreol Manor, Aidil Men, Humali Republic, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>Mana had already lived long enough to see the children she had grown up with grow old and die, and yet she was still living and still - as far as anyone could tell - in her youth. She looked no more than twenty despite being close to a century and a half old which was far longer than any human she knew of. </p><p>_____________ ______________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ ______________________.</p><p>_________________________________________ She had had the same dream on and off for the past decade or so, and it was just frustrating enough that she had finally decided to listen to it. In her dream, she always saw herself and two others whose faces were blurred standing back to back as a great dark hand stretched out over Dootenya and grabbed hold of it. Then the Hero Percival of legend appeared cutting down a black silhouette before retreating to the manor he had once called home and placing an ancient-looking tome over a gravestone while tears ran down his cheeks and he muttered ‘I am sorry’ over and over. The tome would open, and a bright golden light shot out of it and pierced through Mana and her two dream companions, but it did not hurt them. Rather, it seemed to give them power with which they then lashed out at the dark hand stretching over Dootenya, causing it to recede.</p><p>What it all meant, Mana was not sure, but she hoped going to the ruins of the Oreol Manor might help her figure it out. So she had traveled to the Humali Republic from her small hometown which was considered a part of no country at all _________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________ ______ </p><p>__________________________ ___________________________________ _____________________________________________ _______________ ___________ ____ ____________________________ ___________________________ The Hero Percival had returned home after slaying the Great Evil to find his mother had passed of illness while he was away. No one is sure what happened to his elder sister who had reportedly left home with him two years prior, but she never returned to the Barony.</p><p>The royal family of the Humali Kingdom - it was still a kingdom then - had offered Percival Oreol an elevated status, but he had declined. He had also refused all rewards except the stipend which he reportedly gave to the servants who had remained by his mother’s side until her passing. He never married and named no heir, so after the Hero Percival’s passing, the Barony fell into true ruin. Of course, by then the Humali Kingdom had begun transitioning into the Humani Republic, so no one paid much mind to the fact that the noble seat was left vacant.</p><p>Given all this, Mana was not sure what she expected to see when she arrived at the ruins of the Oreol Manor. ____________________________ _____________________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________ _____________ _______________________________________ _____________________________________________________ ________________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________________ ________________________________________ ____________________________ ________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________ another person was not on the list.</p><p>___________________ _______________________________</p><p>He sat on a fallen log in what would have once been a grand front courtyard, his pale skin and golden eyes standing out in sharp contrast to the dark wood of the dead tree and grass about him. His slightly pointed ears made Mana assume he was an elf, though the few elves she had met before felt different somehow.</p><p>“Hello.” The man greeted in a melodic voice as she approached the front gate which managed to somehow look elegant despite hanging on only one hinge. “I had quite thought you would arrive a little later.”</p><p>Mana eyed the man suspiciously. “Are you the one who has been giving me those dreams?”</p><p>_______________ The man laughed lightly. “That is not my gift.” He turned his face to the sky, a faraway look in his eyes. ____________________ _____________________________________ “The gift of a Guardian.”</p><p>“What sort of guardian?” Mana paused with her hand resting on the gate, not sure if she should come any closer to this strange man.</p><p>“The kind that has almost died out.” The man replied, his gold eyes shining. “But this is not why you are here.” He rose from the log he had been sitting on and walked to the gate, pulling as he did so an old tome from beside the fallen log that Mana hadn’t noticed before. </p><p>___________________________________________.</p><p>“The answers you seek are here.” The man offered her the tome. “But they are not what you expect.”</p><p>Mana hesitantly took the tome and opened it, _____________________________________ ________________________________________________ <em>The Truth of the Great Reshapings: An Account from the One Who First Mistepped</em></p><p>She looked up. “What is this?”</p><p>“You might consider it my diary.” The man replied solemnly. “Though I have only written what is necessary, and only those touched by a Guardian’s blessing may read it.”</p><p>Mana shook her head. “If you were going to give me your diary personally,” she questioned, opening the gate after all and following the man as he went back to sit on the fallen log, “why write it down at all?”</p><p>The man smiled sadly and gazed into the distance. “Because this time I cannot help you.” As she watched, the man seemed to glimmer and fade in the sunlight. “And I was not sure if I would have enough time.”</p><p>“Who are you?”</p><p>The man turned back to face Mana as his form dissipated so that only a glimmering golden outline of his form remained. “Aman.” </p><p>And then he was gone.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 58 E.E. DR</em>
</p><p>_____________________________ ______________________________ _________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ____________________ _____________. </p><p>_________________ ________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _______________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________________________.</p><p>“The duffle came this time!”</p><p>_______________________________________ _____________________________________________________<br/>
***</p><p>
  <em>Spotted Pounce, Smuggler’s Ship, Outside Qwayla Orbit, Poscom System, 10,148 E.N.</em>
</p><p>Inani did not enjoy their time on the smuggler’s ship. It was cramped and full of shed fur. How the fur did not clog any ventilation systems, Inani did not know.</p><p>For the short period of time that the smuggler’s ship was being inspected for items that The Nine ruled couldn’t leave Qwayla, they were a convincing enough actor to pull off being the smuggler’s younger sibling. They hadn’t much practiced at half-shifter make-up, but they had played a cat once. (____________________________________________________________. Inani ____________________________________________________________________________.)</p><p>The smuggler, Jolk Virethorn, had tufted ears nestled in spotted black fur. Jolk recommended the colors Inani should use for her fur: either a solid black or a gray with black spots. It would most closely match with Virethorn clowder characteristics. </p><p>Inani was delighted with knowing these characteristics, but they weren’t sure how a half-shifter even came to live peacefully on Qwayla.  They also weren’t sure how Jolk got a pass to leave Qwayla so often. They had asked him, but he avoided the question. The question kept being avoided throughout their journey to Tierra. </p><p>Inani had never left Qwayla. How would they survive on Tierra?</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Tree Farm, Macaonit, Qwayla, Poscom System, 10th day of Niw, 10,165 E.N.</em>
</p><p>He was worried. Something was happening to the Qwa Trees. They began to change color; it wasn’t the color that showed that they needed to be harvested. It looked more sinister. </p><p>Qwa Trees had bark that turned bright red when they needed to be harvested from. Qwa Trees needed to be harvested from about once every five years. Although Qwa Trees grew slowly, once they reached a certain height, they underwent a chemical change that turned the bark bright red. This was reversible by trimming the trees down. If left untrimmed, the Qwa Trees would begin to die and the bark color would become brighter and lighter. (Qwa Trees exploded once they reached a nauseatingly bright pink color. This could wipe out an entire small farm like it did at the beginning of Qwayla.)  Qwa Trees were very high maintenance trees.</p><p>Mac Qorakee, The Treeman, (this is what most of Macaonit knew him by because he owned the largest Qwa Tree farm in all of Qwayla), knew this and set his farm up by when the trees needed to be harvested from. He called his fields after the months of the year because not all of his workers understood Standard numbering. His parents taught him, against the rules of The Nine, because they knew that sometimes The Nine will let the farmers handle trade negotiation. </p><p>Many in the known worlds didn’t realize that Qwayla was not as separated as it appeared. Although The Nine declared Qwayla separated, Qwayla still had trade deals to honor. Especially for Qwa Tree wood. It was the foremost wood used in Poscom and the other systems. One reason it was used in Poscom was that Qwa Tree wood was magically inert. Harvesting Qwa Tree wood had a way of negating magical energies. ‘Maybe the brightness of the bark is a signal of a buildup of mana?’ Mac thought.</p><p>Living Qwa Trees themselves blocked teleportation energies. Qwayla had some mana, but everyone knew that to try a teleportation spell on Qwayla was to sentence yourself to a very grisly messy death. You died quick, but your remains would be unidentifiable due to the amount of pieces and where the pieces would land. </p><p>Mac vaguely remembered the story of how this power of the Qwa Trees was discovered. The story goes that a mana user from Dootenya was visiting the Mountains of Macaonit and decided that he didn’t want to walk all the way back to his hotel room. When he didn’t return for the night, the hotel put out a missing person report. At least one person from every business in Macaonit looked for the visiting mana user. Almost everyone discovered something but it wasn’t a whole being. There were teeth found in almost every grove on the Qorakee farm. A few flesh covered bones mysteriously dropped near the searchers. </p><p>One lucky searcher found the visitor’s pack near one of the high resting spots on Mount Qorlak. Mount Qorlak boasted the second highest peak in Qwayla. The search of the pack back in town found the visitor’s journal. The visitor wrote that his legs were tired from all the hiking and that he was just going to ‘port back outside his hotel.’ This was after a lot of studying of any Qwa Tree he went by. The trees felt ‘off’ to him somehow.  </p><p>Several weeks after the visitor’s disappearance, The Nine banned all teleportation on Qwayla. The story about the visitor made its way around Qwayla and there were even plays that followed his story. The famous actor Inani Truella, may they be in with the Qwa Trees, got their first big performance on stage as the visitor and one of The Nine in the biggest of the plays: “Teleportation.” </p><p>What wasn’t publicly documented was that pieces of the visitor were found in Cheyenne, Gian, and Isatemukeh. When The Nine heard reports of bloody bones and flesh just appearing in the Gian mines, showing up in the fields of Isatemukeh, and washing up on the beaches of Cheyenne, they connected it to the bits of the visitor they found on Macaonit. They promptly banned any mana use around Qwa Trees. This filtered down to the masses as “NO Teleportation.” </p><p>Mac knew almost everything there was to know about Qwa Trees. He studied all of his ancestor’s journals and he fervently studied the trees at the farm. One of his tasks that he set himself was to everyday walk one of the groves and inspect the trees. He prevented a disaster when he found an almost pink tree in grove Yal two years ago during one of his walk-arounds. </p><p>One of his ancestors had a connection to mana and would use it in the house. The closest grove to the house, grove Qot, had an accelerated schedule of harvesting. This led the family to conclude that Qwa Trees soaked up mana and this was why they exploded spectacularly. This soaking up of the mana was dramatic, so it often made spells go awry. The ancestor had so many spells just not work that he thought his connection to mana was very low. He made one trip to Dootenya and he cast a simple water spell. He almost caused a flood. That was when the family knew that it was their connection to mana and the land that kept the Qwa Trees so healthy for so long. </p><p>All of this knowledge didn’t prepare Mac to find dark brownish-gray spots on the Qwa Trees in grove Ana. The next day, he and all his workers inspected all the groves. Half of the Qwa Trees had the spots. Mac contacted his neighbors. He consulted his ancestors' books. He didn’t know what he was going to do. He reported this anomaly to The Nine. </p><p>
  <em>Tierra, Poscom System, late 825 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>Breaking News: There will be a recall of Qwa Tree furniture. The furniture produced this year has caused several fatalities and severe injuries including loss of limbs. The recall is for all furniture made and/or bought since 824 Fi.E.  </p><p>
  <em>The Clawed Healer, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fo.E.</em>
</p><p>Jule woke up. They were on a bed. Covered with a blanket. ‘I made it,’ they thought, happy they woke up not feeling as sore as they thought they probably should be.</p><p>“Who attacked you?” Came a demanding question from the Vulpine Healer. Their fur, no hair, was standing on end, bristling in anger. </p><h3>
  <strong>8 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>The Clawed Healer, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fo.E.</em>
</p><p>Jule knew enough about shifter culture to not mention the biological reaction of the Healer’s anger. </p><p>Jule wasn’t sure what the Healer was talking about. They remember pain and then blackness. Jule’s thoughts raced through what might have happened to them. They took stock of the remarkably little pain they were in. They knew the Vulpine Healer was good; they hadn’t realized how much pain they had been in three days ago.</p><p>Jule was taken from their thoughts of pain-free marvel as they felt someone move their hooves around. Jule heard someone muttering near there. They propped themselves up on their elbows to see the new person.</p><p>“What are you doing with my hooves?”</p><p>“I’m giving you shoes and trimming your hooves,” Jule received two glares, one from the person doing the work and one from the Healer. “When was the last time you trimmed your hooves?”</p><p>Jule was silent. ‘Was it before or after the expedition?’ </p><p>
  <em>Mushroom Faerie Circle, Whimwallow Grove, Ranaka Forest, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>Trei Eknal was out of sight. They were marveling over their newest circle. It was a thing of beauty. So many pretty mushrooms, of all sorts of colors and sizes! It would make their siblings cry with delight...if Trei wanted their work ruined and cried over. Trei stared at the ring in admiration for hours. </p><p>A branch cracked loudly from nearby. Trei went on alert. ‘Who is coming to the ring?’ They thought. They knew the elves would not dare enter near any faerie circles, ‘We fae are protective of our circles. Damage to the circle damages us.’</p><p>Trei spotted a being nearby. ‘A foolish mortal comes to have an adventure at MY circle,’ they angrily thought. ‘We’ll see about that.’ </p><h3>
  <strong>9 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>No writing occurred today because Sinsrfun10 introduced Laicolasse and Calenlas to <em>Julie and the Phantoms</em> and they binge-watched the entire season.</p><h3>
  <strong>10 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>Mountains somewhere in Dootenya, Poscom System, 1712 Fo.E.</em>
</p><p>Cold.</p><p>There was nothing but ice and snow and freezing, biting winds. She was lost in inky blackness and bitter cold.</p><p>A piercing cry met here sensitive ears. Were she not an elf, she doubted the sound would have reached her above the howl of the winter storm. </p><p>“Shh, baby, shh.” A woman’s voice, soothing, warm. “I’m sorry baby. I don’t have anything else to keep you warm.”</p><p>She was probably going to freeze anyway. Maybe her cloak would give the child a chance.</p><p>“No, I couldn’t take your cloak! You’ll freeze to death!”</p><p>“Elves are resistant to the cold.” That wasn’t a lie. But this kind of cold was enough to be lethal, especially to an elf who wasn’t even full-grown yet. Most humans didn’t really understand elves, though.</p><p>“Thank you.” Ah, she was crying. “Thank you.”</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Ice Block, Frozen Hills, Glacia Minu, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>“Winter, are you awake?”</p><p>Miss Ria’s voice pulled Rhîwgwaewen out of her trance, and she was grateful for it. She had disliked trancing since she reached 98 moons. Her memories danced through her mind, memories which made her curse her nearly perfect memory. </p><p>“Wint- Oh!” Miss Ria stumbled, tripping over her own feet, as she came to check on Rhîwgwaewen and the bowl she carried slipped off it’s tray. Rhîwgwaewen sent a quick bolt of frost to stop the contents from spilling out as she stood quickly to catch Miss Ria before she fell.</p><p>“Ah, thank you Winter.” The bowl clattered to the floor just as Rhîwgwaewen caught Miss Ria around the waste. “I’m sorry about your breakfast. I’ll go make you another bowl.”</p><p>“No, it’s alright.” Rhîwgwaewen planted Miss Ria firmly on her feet before sweeping down to retrieve the bowl. “I’ll thaw it over the fire.”</p><p>Miss Ria gave her an exasperated look, but refrained from commenting. </p><p>***</p><h3>
  <strong>11 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>Somewhere in Vintelium, early 1245 S.E.</em>
</p><p>Rune tried to spit out the aftertaste of blood. She would have rinsed her mouth, but that would require thawing some snow for water, which would require fire, which would require her using magic, which was a bad idea immediately after having to strengthen the seal on the Great Evil because her body was weakened because of wandering in freezing conditions in too little clothing with almost no supplies and far less than sufficient money (not that money would help their current predicament) that she and Percival had been doing.</p><p>“Are you alright, sister?” Percival questioned, patting her on the back after wrapping his hand with a make-shift bandage made out of a strip of cloth torn off his shirt.</p><p>Rune looked at her brother apologetically. “I’m fine.” She shivered.</p><p>Percival gave her that look that says ‘I don’t buy it.’</p><p>“As fine as I can be.” She clarified.</p><p>The two had been caught in a blizzard not long after leaving the Humali Kingdom and been forced to find shelter somewhere - anywhere. This had taken them away from the road and to a small cave where they had spent three nights huddled around a fire that Rune had maintained entirely through magic due to a lack of wood nearby. Once the blizzard had passed, their tracks had been entirely erased and the poorly maintained road was nowhere in sight - probably buried under five feet of snow. Having only a vague idea of the direction they had been traveling before the blizzard, Rune and Percival took their best guess of the road’s location and hoped to find it again later, but it had been close to two months and they were no closer to finding a town, so the road probably turned at some point, and they were no longer even roughly following it.</p><p>Which meant they had to survive the harsh winter alone in a foreign land. At first, it wasn’t too bad. Rune was able to start fires without needing flint (thankfully, since the flint they had brought with them was lost in the blizzard), and they still had some food which they rationed to last as long as possible. Together they foraged for winter berries - though these were sparse in this region - and hunted the few creatures that were still out and about in the cold. Percival was particularly good at tracking in the snow and therefore led the hunts. This was, of course, due to training he had received from their father that Rune was routinely excluded from because it required spending long amounts of time in the harsh elements of winter, and their father wanted to limit the stress on her body.</p><p>________________________________________________________<br/>
Around the time their rations ran out and another blizzard passed through which caused any berries in the area to be wiped out and the few animals around to hide too well for Percival to be able to track them, Rune felt the seal sapping more of her magic than usual. Once every other day or so, the dark powers of the Great Evil started leaking out of her, and Percival ran to her side and made her drink his blood to strengthen the seal. This in turn was weakening Percival - she was taking quite a bit of his blood lately. Of course, the weaker Percival became, the more Rune became upset emotionally as she worried she would lose her brother. And so the cycle was perpetually worsening.</p><p>It had now been about a week since they had any food - they were subsisting on thawed snow which would not work much longer.</p><p>“Come here.” Rune pulled Percival into a tight hug to share body heat. It was getting late, and she would not be able to start a fire before morning with her current condition.</p><p>Percival wrapped his cloak around himself and his sister and the two lay down and drifted off to sleep from pure exhaustion, shivering and hungry.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Ruins of Oreol Manor, Aidil Men, Humali Republic, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>Mana was unsure how long she stared at the place where Aman used to be before she began reading the book in her hands. She was not sure, either, how long she had been reading since then, though it was quite dark and the yellow moon hung high in the sky, but she was sure of one thing: This was not the history of the worlds knew.</p><p>Not that she was surprised after what Aman had said to her.</p><p>______________________________________ This was a lot to take in, and she wasn’t even halfway through. ______________________________________________________________ But in the dream, it wasn’t only the book that was required to defeat the dark hand - whatever that represented. There had been two others with her. </p><p>It looked like her next task was to find them. </p><p>But how in the three solar systems was she going to locate two people whom she had only seen as blurry images in a dream?</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>The Clawed Healer, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fo.E.</em>
</p><p>Adrian was losing patience. It was clear this half-shifter was thinking about Adrian and Taylor’s questions, but they weren’t giving any responses.</p><p>“I’ll ask one more time.” Adrian flexed one clawed hand, their anger making it difficult to retain humanoid form. “Who attacked you?”</p><p>The half-shifter turned back to face them with a puzzled look on their face. “What do you mean?”</p><p>Taylor, still fiddling with the new horseshoes they were fitting the half-shifter with paused and stared at them. “_____________________________________ When Adrian pulled me in here, you looked like you’d been too close to Nullerne.”</p><p>The half-shifter was quiet for a moment. “Well, I do remember being in a lot of pain… and there was some blood… that’s why I came here...I think.” They paused and shook their head as if they could remember no more.</p><p>“If that’s what you call ‘some blood’” Adrian laughed darkly - it came out more like a snarl “then I’d hate to see what ‘a lot of blood’ looks like.” ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________ __________________________. It was impressive that the half-shifter had survived such copious amounts of blood loss.</p><p>________________ __________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________<br/>
________ ________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Taylor interrupted, running a hand through their thick rust-colored hair.</p><p>The half-shifter shot up - or tried to before being held down by both Taylor and Adrian ________________________ _______________________ ________</p><p>Adrian exchanged a look with Taylor.</p><p>“Okay, no guards… yet.” Adrian stated harshly. “But you have to give us a good reason.”</p><p>The half-shifter was silent for a moment. “I’m part of the Expeditioners.” They muttered.</p><p>“The what?” Adrian and Taylor asked in unison.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Beneath Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fo.E.</em>
</p><p>“We lost Jule.” A dark-skinned man with long white hair tied back in a low ponytail entered the underground through the sewer entrance - he was an elglin, a People known for their speed, their affinity with the earth, and their ability to manipulate gravity - though only minorly. “They were heavily injured and I sent them to the Clawed Healer, but I doubt they made it - don’t think they even remember the attack.”</p><p>“That-” An aging woman who sat in a nearby armchair gasped. </p><p>The man looked at her with pity. It was Jule’s mother. Of course this would be hard to hear. Especially since Jule was still fairly young for a shapechanger. Hadn’t even chosen a main form yet.</p><p>“They’ll pay.” He assured the woman.</p><p>And he meant it.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Department of Exploration Main Office, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fo.E.</em>
</p><p>“The Expeditioners evaded our attack.” A voice came through the intercom. “Though one was heavily injured while making a way for the rest to escape - they couldn’t have gotten far in that condition. We are looking for them now.”</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Close to the western border of Vintelium, early 1245 S.E. </em>
</p><p>It was here. Aman was sure of it. He had felt pulses for quite some time now as though the vessel’s seal was weakening, so he had rushed toward its location. And now he was right above it, but all he could see was snow.</p><p>Then again, it had snowed last night - quite heavily at that. Hastily, Aman knelt over the snow where he most strongly sensed the evil and listened.</p><p>Two heartbeats.</p><p>They were slow - very slow. The owners of the heartbeats were probably dying. Beyond that, he felt the evil stirring again ______________________________ _________________________________________________</p><p>He ground his teeth. ________________________________ If he had __________________________________ ______________________________ ____________________________</p><p>He shook his head and began to sing. This would take a fair bit of energy, and he had not yet fully recovered, but there was no helping it. The snow parted, revealing the forms of two young humans - children. Granted, they were likely close to adulthood in human terms, but still. </p><p>_________________________________________</p><p>Aman kept singing, lifting their cold bodies out of the snow and bringing them to the place in the forest nearby where he had slept the night before. He carefully deposited the two on the forest floor after clearing the snow in a fairly wide circular berth. Collecting fallen branches from the area nearby, he set a large fire in the center of the area and moved the two children as close as he dared.</p><p>“I know you are there.” Aman called out. __________________________________________</p><p>“It is the job of a Guardian to influence, not to act.” A tall, muscular woman with golden skin marked with scales near her shoulders and the mark of the Guardian on her left arm stepped into the clearing, long, slender deep golden horns protruded from her forehead. </p><p>“No.” Aman shook his head. “It is the job of a Guardian to guard.” He pressed the back of his hand to each of the children’s foreheads - cold, too cold. “They will die without healing, and I do not have enough power left.”</p><p>_______________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ _____________________</p><p>This was taking too long. Aman turned and grabbed the dragon by the hand, ______________________________ ________________ _____________________ _________________________ ______________________________________________________ _________________________ placing her hands over them and speaking words in the Tongue of the Dragons. A shimmering white light passed from her hands to the children, and they began to look healthier.</p><p>“The existence of the Guardians,” _____________________________________________ “must not be made known.” ________________________________________ Aman who had been scraping bark off of a nearby Silv tree.</p><p>___________________________________, Aman replied. “And it will not be.”</p><p>The children began to stir.</p><p>“You should go.” Aman turned at last, holding a scraping from the tender flesh of the Silv tree which lies beneath its bark.</p><p>_______________________________ ______________________________________________________________. “I am called Amma Hleah.” She paused. “Should you need to call me again.” And with that, she was gone.</p><p>Aman smiled gently and went to the children’s sides, placing the Silv flesh over the fire.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Mushroom Faerie Circle, Whimwallow Grove, Ranaka Forest, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>“Foolish mortal.” Trei kicked the lifeless body one more time for good measure.</p><p>Then, Trei rifled through the bag on the body and pulled out an identification plate. __________________________________________________________________________Trei ________________ ______________________________ ________________it wasn’t nice to let the perpetrator’s family wonder where they disappeared to __________________________________ ______________ Trei carefully dragged the body out of the circle in such a was as to avoid damaging any of the precious mushrooms _________________________________________________________________________’</p><p>Maybe Trei could set up a new mushroom circle after returning the remains. They had never been to Rilne in the Humali Republic before.</p><p>***</p><h3>
  <strong>12 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><h3>
  <strong>13 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><h3>
  <strong>14 December </strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>Westwood Way, Tierra, Poscom System, 826 Fi.E. </em>
</p><p>Inani had safely made their way onto Tierra and had earned themself a few small parts on various popular shows. They even earned a recurring role as a villain! They were so thrilled when the call for that part came through.</p><p>They knew they were a good actor. Many in the industry wondered where they were from. Inani knew the benefits of being a complete mystery.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 58 E.E. DR</em>
</p><p>____________________________ ___________________________ __________________________________ __________________ ___________________ ______________________________ ____________________________ ___________________________________________________ _____________________________________________ __________________________________________ ________________________________ ___________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________ _________________________ ____________________________________________________ ___________________ ________________________________ __________________________ ___________________________________________________________ _______________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ __________________ _________________________________ ___________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ __________________________ _______________ __________________________________________________________.  </p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Mushroom Faerie Circle, Whimwallow Grove, Ranaka Forest, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>Trei believed that feeding the bodies of intruders were a good way to damage a perfect circle. ‘Now what is the best way to transport a dead intruder back to Rilne?’</p><p>Trei snapped their fingers. The intruder transformed into… a mushroom. This new mushroom was a poisonous-looking purple and silver. It looked to entice an unwary soul to eat it. </p><p>Trei despaired that the magic chose a mushroom instead of holly or moss. Then they remembered that their affinity and affection for mushrooms may have overpowered any other aspect of the magic. </p><p>Trei walked outside the mushroom ring twice, then stepped into the ring with their outside foot crossing the foot next to the ring. The ring was empty.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Mushroom Faerie Circle, outside of the Humali Republic, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>Trei appeared in an old ring of theirs. The ring was much smaller than the ring in Whimhallow Grove. The grove that used to surround this ring disappeared at the beginning of the Fifth Era. The Humali Republic kept expanding with people. People were destroying forests. They didn’t touch the rings. </p><p>Trei looked up from the inspection of his old ring. The mushrooms looked healthy and the ring was intact. They shuddered at the thought of what might have happened to them if the ring hadn’t been intact. </p><p>The forest that had once surrounded this ring was sparse. Trei walked around the inside of the ring. They could see dwellings of people not 20 meters from their circle. </p><p>‘Maybe I need to inspect all my mushrooms after I return this.’</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 58 E.E. DR</em>
</p><p>“_______________________________________ ____________________________________ _______________________________________ _________ _______________ ______ ___________________________________________________ ______________________ __________________________ ________ ______________________.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Westwood Way, Tierra, Poscom System, early 827 Fi.E. </em>
</p><p>Inani watched the news in horror. ‘What was happening on Qwayla?’</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>The Council of Nine Private Chambers, Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, 16th day of Niw, 10,166 E.N.</em>
</p><p>One of the nine members cleared their throat. A second brought the emergency gathering to order.</p><p>“Why are we here?” An impatient deep voice sounded from a seat closest to the chamber door. </p><p>The council of nine were seated at a round table. The private chambers for The Nine had them seated where there was no head and all were equal in this chamber. The public chambers had them in a row and the most important members were seated most left in that row. </p><p>“Patience Kyle. Not everyone is fully seated. When you are ready, light the green light in front of you. When all lights are green, you may proceed, Representative Qorakee,” announced a person with deep purple hair and light violet eyes. </p><p>A few moments later a short woman stood up and began to speak. </p><p>“As you all know, my cousin, may he be in with the Qwa Trees, reported the darkening of the Qwa Trees a year ago. What you don’t know is that less than three months later, he died a slow agonizing death. No doctors or healers know what caused his sickness. They don’t know exactly what he died of either. His heart could’ve stopped beating, his lungs could’ve stopped working, or his brain just stopped. We don’t know. </p><p>“They found masses growing all over the inside of his body. He had several open wounds at his death. What makes this most disturbing is that my cousin’s death was the first of this on Macaonit. It was the tenth on Qwayla.”</p><p>There was a stunned silence throughout the chambers.</p><p>Someone became brave enough to ask, “What does this mean for Qwayla?”</p><p>No one was brave enough to verbally give the answer: plague. </p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 58 E.E. DR</em>
</p><p>__________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________________ ______________________ _________________________________ ___________________________ __________________ __________________ _____________________ __________ _________________ __________________ __________________________________________ ______________________________________ _________________________________ _______________________________ ____________________________ ___________________________________ ____________ _____________________________ _______________________ _____________________ __________________ _______________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________ ______________________________________ ________________________________ __________________ ___________________ _____________________________________________ _______________________________________________ ___________________. </p><p>“Are you pregnant?”</p><p>***<br/>
<em>Outside The Council of Nine Private Chambers, Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, 9th day of Nine, 10,166 E.N.</em></p><p>‘It seemed fitting to do this today,’ Frank thought. Absentmindedly, scratching at a sore on his arm. ‘The Nine have been stuck in their private chambers for over two months now with no announcements, with no new messages about why people are dying.’ </p><p>“Nagremu The Nine!” Frank shouted, causing the rest of those waiting with him to pick up the cry. He pumped his fist and the group rushed at the doors to the private chambers. </p><p>“Nagremu The Nine!” rung out hours later after the rubble had somewhat settled. The Nine were gone. And with the annihilation of The Nine, the exodus of Qwayla began.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Somewhere in the Frozen Hills, Glacia Minu, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>Foggy breaths formed trails behind her as Rhîwgwaewen ran as hard and fast as she could through the Frozen Hills, using her magic to create temporary ice bridges between peaks as often as she could to speed her travel. _________________ __________________ ______________________ last time she tranced it wasn’t memories that plagued her. It was visions. __________________________________ __________________________________________ </p><p>________ _______________________________ _________________________________ _______________________________________________ ________________________ _____________ One small mushroom faerie - the keeper of the circles, Rhîwgwaewen presumed - had eyes filled with loss and anger as they knelt in the center of one of the destroyed circles. </p><p>These images had given way to a girl standing by what appeared to be ruins of an old manor holding a book.<br/>
____________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ____________________________ ___________________________ ____________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Her magic was highly flexible in ways Rhîwgwaewen could never hope her magic to be.</p><p>Then the vision changed. It was dark and cold, colder than even her coldest memory. A flash of light, a burst of flame, and she felt hot, then the darkness receded and her trance broke.</p><p>Somehow, she knew she would eventually meet those two - the mushroom faerie and the girl with strange magic, but she had to do something first.  </p><p>Iâring. It was far away from here and she had never been there, but somehow she knew exactly where to go, and she knew it was where she needed to go. It would take a while to get there, though. At least a moon would likely pass before she made it there.</p><p>
  <em>Destroyed Mushroom Faerie Circle, Middle of Nowhere, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>Trei wasn’t sure which emotion was stronger right now. The only two mushroom faerie circles they had grown and tended with care that had survived to now were the circles in Whimwallow and outside of the Humali Republic. Loss. That was strong. Anger. That was strong too. </p><p>The majority of the mushroom faerie circles that had been destroyed were destroyed by some sort of negative energy. It had poisoned the mushrooms and killed them, slowly and painfully. It was unforgivable. Whatever caused the negative energy would pay. First, though, Trei would go back to the other circles, Whimwallow first, then the one outside the Humali Republic, and place an extra protective barrier.</p><p>
  <em>The Clawed Healer, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fo.E.</em>
</p><p>Jule wasn’t sure whether to answer or not. The Expeditioners...if these two were not sympathetic then they may have just put everyone in danger.</p><p>Panic kept rising higher, the fear of the guards, the fear of these two turning them over, the fear of everyone being in danger. Jule tried to calm down, but the panic kept rising in waves, and they felt themselves beginning to lose control of their form. </p><p>That made them panic even more. </p><p>Only the Expeditioners knew they were a shapechanger. It was dangerous to let others find out, but Jule hadn’t settled yet - they hadn’t chosen a base form yet, and that meant if their emotions were too unstable it was possible for their form to become unstable too.</p><p>They tried to suppress the change, but it wouldn’t stop. They felt the familiar painful twinges as their body started rearranging itself. They must have still been injured because it felt more painful than usual, although that could also have been from the panic. </p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Mountains somewhere in Dootenya, Poscom System, 1712 Fo.E.</em>
</p><p>Malug Ullu Rusur felt it.______________________ ______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________ _____________________________ __________________________________ ______________________________ __________________________ Malug Ullu Rusur<br/>
__________________ ________________ __________ __________________________________ _____________________________ ______________________________ ________________ ______________________________ ________________________ ___________________________________ ________________________________ _____________ ________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ ___________________________ ____________________________________ _________________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________ _____________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________ __________________________ ____________________________________ Malug Ullu Rusur’s ________________________________ ________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Malug Ullu Rusur reached inside himself and grasped a piece of his soul, a small one, but enough. As quickly as he could, he willed this piece of dragon-soul to bind to hers. There had to still be a spark of life for this to work. </p><p>***</p><h3>
  <strong>15 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>I, Calenlas, plead not guilty to the charge of not writing today by reason of mental exhaustion caused by finals.

</p>
<h3>
  <strong>16 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>I, Calenlas, plead not guilty to the charge of not writing today by reason of mental exhaustion caused by finals.

</p>
<h3>
  <strong>17 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>I, Calenlas, plead not guilty to the charge of not writing today by reason of mental exhaustion caused by finals. </p><h3>
  <strong>18 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>In a forest clearing close to the western border of Vintelium, early 1245 S.E.</em>
</p><p>Rune opened her eyes slowly, surprised that she didn’t feel nearly so cold or tired as she had for some time now. In fact, she felt warmth like that of a fire. She sat up, looking around rapidly as she realized there was, in fact, a campfire, and she and Percival - thank goodness Percival was here too - were in some sort of clearing in the snow in the forest and there was a man - an elf? - with golden eyes and an air about him that was at once powerful and serene tending to the fire.</p><p>“You are awake.” The man smiled to them. He pulled something out of the fire and offered it to Rune and then to Percival who had cautiously come to sit beside her. “Silv flesh.” He stated as Rune and Percival took what he offered with perplexed looks.</p><p>“Like the tree?” Percival asked.</p><p>The man nodded. “Yes. The flesh just below the outer bark is edible when cooked over the fire.” He took a piece himself and began to eat.</p><p>Rune hesitantly took a bite, not sure what she should expect from a tree’s flesh. She was surprised by the somewhat chewy texture like cured meat which combined with a woodsy flavor underscored by a savory sweetness. It was much better than she had expected, and quite welcome after days of only melted snow.</p><p>After a few minutes during which she and Percival greedily ate the Silv flesh, Rune glanced at the man who now sat calmly leaning against a tree watching them almost like a guardian watches a young child during a family outing.</p><p>“You,” Rune began, then paused. “Thank you. For saving us.”</p><p>A look crossed the man’s face that was hard to read, and if she were not mistaken there was a hint of guilt in his countenance - though for what reason she could not say.</p><p>After a moment of silence, the man finally spoke. “You may call me Aman.”</p><p>“I am Rune Oreol, and this is my brother, Percival.”</p><p>*** </p><h3>
  <strong>19 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>I, Sinsrfun10, plead not guilty to not writing today by dealing with malfunctioning Christmas lights. </p><h3>
  <strong>20 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>I, Sinsrfun10, plead not guilty to not writing today by being told that I was exposed to the plague (aka Covid). </p><h3>
  <strong>21 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 58 E.E. DR </em>
</p><p>Emilia was stunned and horrified by Samantha’s question. It was the same realization that she had come to right before she vomited, so it wasn’t too bad. She looked at her wonderful husband of three years and many adventures and began to giggle at the look on his face. </p><p>Samantha looked concerned at her giggling so she pointed at Greg.</p><p>Samantha turned to look at him. She began to giggle too until she remembered the reason why they now know Emilia is pregnant. </p><p>“Did you know that you were pregnant before this go around? Is that why you took the tampons out?” </p><p>Emilia thought about this question as she always does - in list form.</p><p>1.	No, she didn’t know she was pregnant<br/>
2.	She was not the last one to check the bag’s checklist<br/>
3.	She was switching to a cup<br/>
4.	She forgot to tell Samantha about the switch</p><p>*** </p><p>
  <em>Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, 10th day of Nine, 10,166 E.N. </em>
</p><p>Frank looked at the sores that laid next to the scars he gained by his revolutionary cry of destroying The Nine. He looked around him. </p><p>The shipyard was packed with people trying to leave Qwayla. Many were afraid of what would happen without the oxygen that the Qwa Trees provide to the atmosphere. Frank was more afraid of the documents he found using his sperm donor’s illegal access to the files of The Nine. </p><p>Frank found out about the plague. He looked at his arms. He thinks he has it.</p><p>***</p><h3>
  <strong>22 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>Hidden Lair, Undisclosed Location, Dootenya, Late 5502 F.E. </em>
</p><p>Evil laughter filled the air as a knife dug deep into Sorser’s heart. His dearest friend had betrayed him in the worst possible way. Sorser fell to the ground, pain thrumming in his chest as blood pooled beneath him. The world grew dimmer and colder by the second until there was nothing but the faintest echo of that dark laughter.</p><p>Moments after Sorser’s heart beat its last, a man in dark robes clanged his staff on the ground as he began to chant in an ancient tongue - old even in the first era, an era he would bring to an end as he began the era that would remember him.</p><p>The blood pooling around Sorser’s body began to glow with magic and flow into a pentagram inside a circle with an all-seeing eye in the center. Poor wretch. He actually had liked Sorser. The man was smart and offered wonderful insights into innovative uses of magic. He would miss that, but the vast, untapped pools of mana inside Sorser’s body were worth the sacrifice.</p><p>As the last line of the magic circle filled in, the blood raised off the ground and swirled into a spiral before diving toward Sorser’s cold body. Moments later, Sorser began to stir.</p><p>Well, not Sorser, really. Not anymore. Now it was merely a vessel, a walking mana source. </p><h3>
  <strong>23 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>Girinel Forest, Dootenya, 5503 F.E.</em>
</p><p>Aman rushed toward the dark mana pool which was at the heart of the forest. He knew he could stop it. _________________________________.</p><p>There, in the heart of the forest, was the form of a man - no, he was a man no longer. A Warlock pacted to Daemoran - the deity of darkness - had killed the man about a month ago in a ritual meant to heighten Daemoran’s power. Aman cursed ______________________ ____________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ____________________________________</p><p>Singing _______________________________________ Aman lunged for the vessel just as it reached for the Core Oak (a tree at the heart of Girinel Forest which held the life-force of Dootenya). A golden light sprang from Aman’s hand and arched like lightning toward the vessel, shocking it to stillness just long enough for Aman to plunge his hand into the vessel’s chest and reach for the link which was in the vessel’s still heart._____________________________________________ _____________________________________________________</p><p>“It is over.” Aman stated as the vessel fell to the ground.</p><p>_______________</p><p>The dark mana pool which had been stored within the vessel exploded, and Aman barely had time to sing a barrier around the Core Oak to protect it from infection. Unfortunately, this left Aman himself exposed, and the dark mana swirled about him, launching into his chest and out the other side of his body, pulling with it a portion of Aman’s essence.</p><p>Evil laughter greeted Aman’s ears as he realized with horror the mistake he had made. The Core Oak was the life-force of Dootenya - a world’s power. ___________________________________ _____________________________________ _______________________________ ___________________________________________ ________________________________ _________________________ _______________ ________________ _____________ ____________________________</p><p>This was a trap.</p><p>Daemoran took on a terrifying form, coalescing the darkness, dark mana, and the portion of Aman’s essence that was already pulled from him into one horrible dark being. A scream from the forest nearby alerted Aman to the presence of the Warlock who had begun this ritual. Aman felt pity for him in that moment: he had been tricked too. Daemoran absorbed the Warlock and continued to pull on Aman’s essence. A pillar of dark energy rose up to the heavens, exploding outward and destroying the entire forest of Girinel - except for the Core Oak which was, thankfully, protected still by Aman’s song.</p><p>Aman’s heart clenched. _____________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ ____________________________ ______________</p><p>This could not go on.</p><p>It was Aman’s mistake which allowed this to happen. He would fix it. Though, his power was not enough to outright destroy Daemoran, he could banish the Great Evil that the deity had become if he used all of his remaining power. Aman sang with all his remaining strength and cast Daemoran out of Dootenya and into the Poscom system, directing the Great Evil toward the uninhabited planet Nullerne.</p><p>Even from here, Aman could feel the impact - perhaps because a portion of his essence was within Daemoran’s new form. The Great Evil impacted Nullerne with such force that the planet was destroyed, and the Great Evil splintered, though it was not destroyed. Aman knew that these splinters would eventually coalesce once again and the Great Evil would return, so he used a final note of his song to send out a message to strong mana users, warning them that a Great Evil would come again one day, though whether the message reached them or not, Aman did not know, for he sank into a deep sleep against the Core Oak even as some of the splinters of the Great Evil shot off throughout the three solar systems and even as the remaining shards of the Girinel forest became sand and fell all about him.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>A Voice Echoing in the Great Vastness, 5503 F.E.</em>
</p><p>____________________________________________________ ___________________________________ ____________________________ __________ _______________ __________ Aman ________________________ __________________________________ a large portion of the sand to form a dune over Aman and the Core Oak. Whatever the reason, this dune would remain untouched throughout the Great Destruction which ensued as a result of the splintering of the Great Evil and for many long years after until the time when Aman would awaken again.</p><p>As for the rest of the worlds, they would undergo a great reshaping, caused by the splinters of the Great Evil - this Great Destruction would, ironically, be brought to an end by the Daemoran’s will pulling the splinters back to itself. ______________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ ________________________________</p><p>Of course, even a deity cannot escape unscathed when it is so utterly shattered as Daemoran was, and the Deity of Darkness is no more a true consciousness. Rather, Daemoran’s will remains - an evil intent holding together a great mass of dark power. _______________________________ __________________________________________________________ ________________________ ________________________ _______________________________________<br/>
*** </p><p>
  <em>Westwood Way, Tierra, Poscom System, 829 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>Inani prayed that the performance wouldn’t be canceled this time. Yes, the world was currently facing a third great reshaping and an expanding, destructive darkness, and yes, there were natural disasters occuring every other day; however, this was Inani’s way of life.</p><p>“Show’s cancelled.” The manager stuck his head backstage. “There’s an evacuation order to the WestCo Safehouse.”</p><p>Inani sighed and followed the rest of the cast toward the exit. This was not a good time to be an actor. Even on good days, only a few people actually came to performances or the show was stopped halfway through. And the actors were being paid a commission based on how many tickets were sold. </p><p>Inani hadn’t had a decent paycheck in over a year.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>The Clawed Healer, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fo.E.</em>
</p><p>“Um, weren’t you a half-horse shifter?” Taylor questioned, holding a horseshoe in their hand that they had previously been fiddling with, _______________________________________ __________________________</p><p>The half-shifter - if that’s really what the injured party was - suddenly started screaming in pain and then began to - well, the only real word for it was change. ________________________________ _____________________________ ________________________________________________ ___________________________________ __________________________ ___________________________________________ ____________________________________ ___________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________ ______________________________ _______________________________________ ____________________________ __________________________ ___________________________________________ __________________________________ ____________________________________ ________________________________<br/>
Adrian smacked the patient unceremoniously over the head with a clawed fist. “You done changing yet?” They questioned.</p><p>Taylor just stared. ____________________________ There was only one time Taylor had heard of a People like this - and that was in a legend: shapechangers. ____________________________________ ______________________________________________________ shapechangers were often depicted as con artists and tricksters in old stories. __________________________________though Taylor’s favorite story involving shapechangers was a novel called <em>The Hero of a Thousand and One Faces</em> by Cam Bell ju Sephre following a shapechanger who was raised as a spy and used these skills to infiltrate an evil tyrant’s inner circle to take down the bad guys from within.</p><p>The shapechanger - Taylor ____________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________- changed one final time, settling for the moment in a tall, slender but muscular feminine form with deep, forest green skin, vibrant violet hair, and lavender eyes - likely the form of an elglin.</p><p>“I” the shapechanger looked cautiously from Adrian to Taylor and back. “I haven’t settled on a form yet, so I sometimes change when I get emotional.” The shapechanger trailed off on the last few words, but what caught Taylor’s attention was the pain that laced every word as if they had just been through some great ordeal that left their body in tatters.</p><p>Well, Taylor supposed, that was true. _____________________________________ Adrian _______________________________________ ____________________________________________________ __________________________________________ Taylor looked at Adrian who shook their head. This wasn’t from the shapechanger’s injuries. Not directly anyway.</p><p>“Okay.” Adrian spoke, still with a demanding tone, though Taylor knew from experience __________________________________________ _______________________________________________ “Let’s leave aside what the Expeditioners are for just a moment. What’s your name?”</p><p>“Jule.”

</p>
<h3>
  <strong>24 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 58 E.E. DR</em>
</p><p>Samantha sighed at Emilia’s spoken aloud list-making. (Samantha had been given leave to use their names after the post-marriage ceremony traveling incident. It was easier to be Emilia, Greg, and Samantha than two married professors and their student.) Samantha looked over at Greg. </p><p>“I’m godmother right?”</p><p>Greg just nodded, still in shock that his wife was pregnant. </p><p>Samantha turned her thoughts from her future duties as godmother, like teaching how to survive in the woods and other life necessities, to why they were transported to this particular place.</p><p>Samantha looked at Greg and then back at Emilia. She sighed again. ‘I don’t know how we are going to move beyond this revelation. And I’m due next week. I don’t know what I’m going to do about that. Hopefully, this stress delays it… again.’</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, 20th day of Yal, 10,167 E.N.</em>
</p><p>Frank was surprised that he lasted this long. His sores turned into scars. He watched the continuing evacuation with dread. With each day the population on Qwayla shrank. But he knew from hacked footage from Tierra that the other planets in the Poscom System weren’t letting evacuees from Qwayla on the planet. </p><p>The plague was officially discovered on Tierra with their mandatory scans of people on the migratory flights. Tierra notified Dootenya because of the Agreement of Isolation of 1 S.E.</p><p>Frank knew that leaving Qwayla was a risk, but staying on Qwayla was also a risk. He knew about the Qwa Tree Explosions and the declining state of the breathable air. </p><p>Frank sat in his acquired place of living, surrounded by the stolen information. He put his head in his hands, his body shook with the force of his emotions. His hands were dripping when he finally stopped shaking.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Tierra, Poscom System, 827 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>Breaking News: The cities of Moose and Denver are under lockdown after accepting Qwaylan refugees. This happened after many residents and refugees reported alarming symptoms. These symptoms are open sores, difficulty breathing, and sudden chills. If you feel any of these symptoms please call medical professionals and isolate yourself. The death toll in Moose due to this sickness is at seven people with more than 60 still suffering symptoms. </p><p>*** </p><h3>
  <strong>25 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>Westwood Way, Tierra, Poscom System, Christmas Eve, 826 Fi.E. </em>
</p><p>Inani was beyond excited. This would be their first Christmas. _____________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________ _____________________________________________________ ___________ Grumbler_______ Grumbler _____________ __________________________________________________ _________________ Cyndei Luhuer _______________________ ____________ Grumbler __________________________________ ___________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ ____________________________________ _______________________________ Inani ___________ Charlie Scrudge _____________________ Charlie _ ____ _______________________________________________ ______________________________________ _______________________________________________ ___________________ _____________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________ __________________ ________________ __________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________</p><p>Inani’s _____________________________________Grendelf______________________________ Grendelf ___________________ _________________________________________ ______________________________________ ___________ Grendelf __________________________________ ________________________________________________________ _________________________________________ Saint Claudius, ______________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________________Grendelf’s ____________________ _________________ Inani _______________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ______________________________________ _____________________________________ ________________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _________________ ____________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________ _________ _____________________________ ______________________________________ _____________________________ _______________________________ _________________________ _________________ Inani ___ __________________________________________ ____________________________________ _____________ _____________________________ ______________________________ ____________________________________ __________________________  _________________________________ _______________________________________________ __________________ ___________________________________________ ______________________________ _____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ______________________ _____________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ ______________________ __________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ ________________________ __________________________________________ ______________________________________ Inani _______________________________ ____________________________________ _______________________________________ ______________________________ ______ Inani _________ _____________________________________________ ______________________________________ ___________________________________________ _______ ____________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _____________ _____________________________ ______________________.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Westwood Way, Tierra, Poscom System, Christmas Eve, 829 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>____________________________ _______________ Inani’s ________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________<br/>
Inani ____________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________ __________________________ ________________________ _______________________________________________ ______ __________________________ Inani ___________ ____________________  ________________________________ Saint Claudius ____________________________ ______________________________________ _____________________________________ ______________________________________________ _____ Inani _________ ________________ _____________________________________ _________________ __________________________________________ ____________________________ _________________________ ___________________________ _____________________________________________ __________________________________ _______________ Inani _________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ______________________________________ Saint Claudius _________________________________________ ________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________ _______________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________</p><p>Christmas was about sharing joy, and Inani was going to do just that.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 58 E.E. DR</em>
</p><p>It had been a little over three months since Em, Samantha, and Greg had found themselves in this AD adventure, and Em had started showing. ____________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Samantha had even helped him build a small log cabin - apparently she did some research on how settlers built these in the past “just in case” and made sure to pack an axe with some sort of safety cap on the blade. ______________________________________________________________ tall enough for a loft where Samantha could sleep.</p><p>Technically, they all should have been sleeping in the loft, but considering that Em was pregnant, they all decided it was safer for her to sleep on the ground, and Greg didn’t like the idea of sleeping separately.</p><p>They still had to cook outside, so they had established a fire pit. They had also set up a small target for archery practice. They had all decided to learn some defense techniques and other useful skills, and Em had chosen archery since, as she told Greg, it could double as a way to hunt food. He meanwhile had chosen fencing since a friend of his was in the Salle Honolulu Fencing Club. Samantha had chosen martial arts. If she had seemed like a ninja before, Greg was even more convinced that she was one now.</p><p>At any rate, while Em still occasionally shot her bow, she mostly instructed Samantha and Greg while they practiced. They all agreed that while a couple practice shots were okay as long as she was careful not to overstress her body and made sure to take breaks, Em should not be their primary hunter. Both Samantha and Greg had given hunting with the bow a shot, but neither of them were particularly good with the bow. They relied more heavily on the hunting traps Samantha made, what they could fish out of the nearby river, and what they could forage. </p><p>It had been helpful when a wandering man - at least Greg thought he was a man - with deep obsidian black horns that seemed alive with writhing flames and lines of pure blue water droplets encircling them on his head, and a strange mark on his left arm and who carried a katana on his waist and introduced himself as Malug Ullu Rusur had happened to pass by and stopped to help build the, at the time not yet finished, log cabin and teach them about local flora and fauna. One food source was the flesh of a particular tree just below the bark, and it grew back quickly, ready to be harvested again the next day even in the dead of winter. Malug had also told them that there were no other inhabitants near this place, and he had left not long after the cabin was built saying something about being on a journey to find disciples. </p><p>About a week ago, Samantha had realized that if time was passing the same way as in their original dimension, then it would be Christmas today,________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Em ________________________________ Samantha ________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________ Samantha ___________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ ______________________________ Greg __________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________ __________________________ _______________________________________</p><p>On Christmas Eve, they had gathered around the fire and taken turns telling some classic Christmas stories. Samantha _________________________________________________________ Greg ____________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________ After that, Em __________ ___________________________ ____________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Greg, Samantha, ____ Em ______________________________________ _________________________________ Greg _____________________ _____________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Em ___________________________________ Samanatha _____________________<br/>
Today, the three of them were again gathered around the fire. Samantha _____________________ ____________________________________________________ ______________________________ Em __________________________________________ Greg ___________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________<br/>
***</p><p>
  <em>Oreol Manor, Aidil Men, Humali Kingdom, late 1229 Second Era (S.E.)</em>
</p><p>“Asmoden, would you please move the tree about a foot to the left?” Andra asked, her sweet voice music to his ears as she rocked their infant son, Percival to sleep. As Percival was less than a year old, this would be his first Yuletide festival.</p><p>Asmoden nodded and did as he was instructed. He chanted a brief levitation spell to make the job easier - velin trees were quite heavy after all.</p><p>“Papa! Mama!” Rune came rushing into the sitting room, tiny wooden carved animals and stars floating in the air about her. “Look at my doormats!”</p><p>Asmoden laughed. “That’s ‘adornments,’ Rune. ____________________________________________” Honestly, Rune _____________________________ ___________________________________ ______________________________________________ ___________________________ _________________________________________</p><p>“What are these two?” Andra asked her daughter, leaning down to point at two of the wooden adornments with the hand that wasn’t being used to cradle Percival.</p><p>Rune _________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ “This one is Papa and Mama. And this is me and Percy!”____________________________________________________</p><p>“These are beautiful!” Andra praised her daughter, ruffling her hair with her free hand.</p><p>Asmoden ______________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________ ________________________ ______________________________ ____________________ ________________________________________ ___________________________________________ _____________________________ ___________________________ ________________________________ Rune _________________________________ ____________________________________ _________________________________ ___________________________________ ________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _________________________<br/>
Asmoden __________________________________________ _______________________________ ____________________ _________________________________ __________________________ _____________________________________ _______________________________________________ ______________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________________ _____________________________________ He turned to Rune and put his hands on his hips. “Now, how about we get to work hanging the rest of them?”</p><p>“Yes!” Rune grinned from ear to ear and started floating adornments to her father one after another. Andra, in the meantime, lay Percival in the bassinet and made her way to the kitchen to help prepare cookies. Ordinarily, that would be the work of the servants; however, Andra liked to cook from time to time, and she made it a point of cooking the family meals on special occasions. </p><p>__________________________ ___________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _________________ ______________________ __________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________ ______________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _______________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________ ______________________________________ __________________________________</p><p>Asmoden’s relatives never fully understood tradition, but then they never understood how he could marry a common woman like Andra either. He didn’t care about rank - that wasn’t what defined a person.</p><p>“Mica!” Rune squealed, ________Asmoden’s _____________________________________________________________ ________________________ ______________________________ _____________________ ___________________________________________ ______________________________________</p><p>He smiled as she rushed to tackle the young knight-in-training who had just come in the door in a bear hug. Michael (his name was shortened by Rune since it was too hard for her to say) was an orphan of about 15 whom Asmoden had found earlier that year in the streets of the capital defending a woman from some thugs. He was still a little uncomfortable around nobles due to some past trauma, but, Asmoden was grateful, Michael had begun to relax - especially when Rune was around.</p><p>“Young Miss,” Michael began, supporting Rune as she latched onto him, “I-”</p><p>“Rune.” </p><p>Asmoden grinned as Michael stared at the three-year-old girl with a confused expression.</p><p>“I’m Rune.” Rune repeated, as if that was meant to be an explanation.</p><p>“Yes,” Michael sounded flustered. “Yes, your name is Rune, Young Miss…”</p><p>Asmoden chuckled and decided to help the young knight in training. “She means, you should call her ‘Rune,’ not ‘Young Miss.’”</p><p>Michael ________Rune______________________________________________________________<br/>
Asmoden chuckled _________________________________ He watched as Michael visibly relaxed. “And you should call me Asmoden.” He resisted the urge to laugh as Michael tensed again as if he were being tested. “It is Yuletide after all.” Asmoden ___________________________ _____________________________________________ _______________________________________________ ______________________________________ ________ Rune ________________________________________________________ Michael_____________________________________________ ______________________________</p><p>Michael ________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ “Ah, right. The Baroness-” Michael cut himself off, cleared his throat, and hesitantly corrected himself, “I mean, Andra,” he paused until Asmoden nodded his approval,_______________________________ __________________________________________________________</p><p>Asmoden _________________________ __________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Michael. </p><p>Rune,____________________________________Michael’s__________________________________________________ _______________________________________ ________________________ Asmoden smiled. “Michael, would you take Rune to town to purchase as much flour as Andra needs? I am occupied with the tree and Percival after all.” </p><p>_______________________________________________________________ Asmoden ______________________.</p><p>“Yay!” Rune ___________________ Michael_____________________________________________________.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Oreol Manor, Aidil Men, Humali Kingdom, late 1244 Second Era (S.E.)</em>
</p><p>Andra rubbed her hand over the two wooden figures in her hands.</p><p>“What are those?” Michael_______________________ _______________________________________________ _________________________________ _________________ Asmoden ___________ ________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________________ ______________ Percival’s ________________</p><p>Andra ______________________ ___________________________ ________________________________________ Michael __________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ____________________ ______________________<br/>
“These are the adornments Rune made the year Percival was born.” __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________</p><p>Michael ___________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________</p><p>“This one is me and Asmoden, and the other is Rune holding Percival.” ____________ ____________________________________ _______________________________________ Michael _________________________________________________________________________________<br/>
____________ Michael _____________________________________________ __________________________________________________________“You and Asmoden _________________________________________ ___________________________________________ __________________________ _____________________________________ _________________________ Rune and Percival. </p><p>“I know it.”

</p>
<h3>
  <strong>26 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>In a forest clearing close to the western border of Vintelium, early 1245 S.E.</em>
</p><p>Rune felt Percival shift closer to her, either for comfort or to protect her. ___________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _____________________________ _______________________________</p><p>“I know what you carry.” Aman said at length after Rune and Percival had eaten.</p><p>Rune tensed. Somehow she knew he was referring to the Great Evil inside of her. Based on Percival’s reaction of reaching for his sword, she assumed he had noticed as well.</p><p>Aman raised a hand in a calming gesture. “_______________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ______________ It is my fault you are in this position.”</p><p>Rune and Percival exchanged glances.</p><p>____________________________ Percival questioned, ____________________________________________ ________________________________________ _______</p><p>Aman stoked the fire with a nearby stick. “I mean exactly what I have said.” He looked first Rune and then Percival in the eyes.______________________________________ _______________________________________________________</p><p>“Its current form?” Rune had more questions than answers. </p><p>________________________________ Percival_______________________ _______________________________________________________________ ________________________________ _________________________ ________________________________________ _______________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ ______________________________ __________________________________ ______________________ ________________________________________ ______________________________ _____________________ Percival ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________ __________________________________________________ ______________________________ ____________________________________________ ___________________________________ ____________________________ Rune_____________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _______________________________ ____________________________________<br/>
Aman___________________________________________ ___________________________________________<br/>
Over the next few hours, Aman told Rune and Percival of many things: of deities, of the Voice, of Daemoran’s trap, of the near-destruction of Dootenya and banishment of Daemoran which was the Great Catastrophe, of the splintering of the Great Evil which was the Great Destruction and the Will of Daemoran which was its end and the foreboding of the Great Evil’s return, of Aman’s long sleep under the dunes, of the existence of the Core Oak - though he carefully avoided giving its precise location - and of much more. By the end of it all, Rune and Percival were convinced that this deity before them was at once the cause of their misfortune (though indirectly and not by will) and the best hope for their salvation.</p><p>As Aman_______________________ _______________________________ _________________________________________________________ _____________________ ______________________________________ _____________________________________________<br/>
Rune shook her head. “We cannot tell you.”</p><p>Aman __________________________ _______________________________________________________________ ___________________<br/>
____________ Percival_______________ ________________________ __________________________________________________________ ____________________________ ______________ _____________________________________ __________________________________<br/>
Rune _________________________________________ _______________________________________________Aman _____________________________Percival’s______________________________________ ___________ “What Percival means,” Rune clarified, “is that we cannot tell you, but that does not mean we do not want to.”</p><p>“Ah.” Aman rose to his feet and began picking up items around the camp, of which there weren’t many. “I see. Then perhaps you could answer another question.” _____________________ ______________________________ _________________________________________________________ _______________________ ______________<br/>
“Father.” Rune replied, glad Aman had taken her hint and worked around the seal. “That was twelve years ago.”</p><p>A look of anger and grief crossed briefly over Aman’s face. “Are you not human?”</p><p>“We are.” Percival answered, leaning against his sister’s shoulder. “I was three and Sister was five, so I don’t really remember that well. It was late at night I think.”</p><p>Rune noded. “Yes, it was the middle of the night long after everyone was asleep. Father seemed so conflicted about something and kept apologizing.”</p><p>Aman gazed at the two for a moment as silence fell over the camp. Each of the three had different things on their minds, though likely they were related thoughts. Thoughts of pain, of unfair fortune, of longing, of despair, and of desperate hope.</p><p>Rune’s mind turned to memories of that night. ___________________________________________________________________ ______________________________ _____________________________________________________ ________________ _________________ ________________________________________ _____________________________ ___________________________________________________ _____________ Percival’s ________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ____________________________ _____________________________________________ ________________________ ________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _____________________________________ _________________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________ _______________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ _________________<br/>
The emotions began to take over, and Rune felt the Great Evil begin to rattle the lock on its cage violently, loosening it. The dark power began to seep out, and she fought back against it.</p><p>“Sister!” Percival shoved a bleeding hand against her lips, forcing her to drink. She gulped down a swallow of blood and the lock tightened, the Great Evil receding further back in its cage.</p><p>“I’m alright.” She pushed Percival’s hand away and wiped her mouth.</p><p>“No.” Aman’s_______________________________________ Percival_______________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ____________________________ Aman________________________________ “Nothing about this is alright.” He glanced up at the sky which was growing dark. “You should sleep.” He told them, turning and walking a few paces away. “I will keep watch. Tomorrow we can discuss what to do next.”</p><h3>
  <strong>27 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 59 E.E. DR</em>
</p><p>Greg was panicking. This was a special kind of panic though. Em was in labor. </p><p>She had a healthy pregnancy by far and while Greg was uncomfortable with his wife having their child in an alternate dimension in a place that he did not know the name of, beggars couldn’t be choosers and he needed to put his big boy boots on and deal with it. (Only having his wife and Samantha for company really added some… interesting phrases to his vocabulary.)</p><p>Samantha was boiling water at the fire pit and disinfecting some of the woven cloths. Greg was doing his husbandly duty of holding Em’s hand and wiping sweat away from her face. He swore that she had almost broken his hand twice during contractions. Samantha was checking on Em’s dilation. Samantha never had any competition for godmother, but she was now definitely promoted to aunt. How they were going to explain Samantha’s relationship to their new child was a thought for a future Greg to contemplate. Samantha just told Em to push. </p><p>Several grueling hours and one broken finger later, Greg was holding his beautiful child. Ten fingers, ten toes, one very interesting mark on her back. </p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Mushroom Faerie Circle, outside of the Humali Republic, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>Trei inspected their newest additions to one-half of their circles. The circle looked magnificent. The mushrooms were glowing beautifully, the ring of them was four deep completely around the circle. Trei sighed in relief that the magic of this circle would not be corrupted. They quickly departed.</p><p>
  <em>Mushroom Faerie Circle, Whimwallow Grove, Ranaka Forest, Dootenya, Poscom System, 145 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>Trei appeared in the other half of their circles. Trei mourned every time they thought of their destroyed circles, but knew that mana would protect them all. </p><p>Trei inspected this circle. It was as beautiful as they remembered it, but it needed a little more sprucing up to be guarded against any corruption. </p><p>Trei worked for several hours, only taking short breaks, to make this circle the best that it could be and still be unique from the circle outside of Humali. </p><p>Trei was spent. Trei slept for many hours upon the completion of their work. </p><p>The circle glowed eerily, protecting Trei in their sleep. The mushrooms were taller in this circle and seemed to have fangs...</p><p>*** </p><p>
  <em>Tierra, Poscom System, 828 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>____________________________ Qwin Aylana: “___ Aylana ____________________ __________________________________________ Qwin ____________________ Aylana ________________________________________ _____________________________________ Poscom System. ____________ Qwayla ____________.”</p><p>“Ayalana _____________________ Tierra. _________________________. Aylana _____________________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________________ __________________ ________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________”</p><p>
  <em>Qwayla, Poscom System, 10,168 E.N.</em>
</p><p>________________________________________________________Qwin Aylana _______________________________________ Qway ________________________________ ____________________________ Ratrid Theatre, the farms, the Gallery, ________________. Qwin ____________________ Qwayla ___________________________ ____________________.”</p><h3>
  <strong>28 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>I, Sinsrfun10, plead guilty for having to deal with clogged waiting rooms to retest for the plague. Therefore, I did not write today. Plague and waiting rooms tend to shut off contact with my muse. (BTW I tested negative.)

</p>
<h3>
  <strong>29 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 59 E.E. DR</em>
</p><p>“We are NOT naming our daughter Hope!”</p><p>Greg thanked everything that Samantha was calming her goddaughter/niece from Em’s screaming at his inability to come up with names that Em would agree to. Em had already knocked out Paige, Isabella, Arwen, Hermione, Willow, Joanne, Galadriel, Susana, Eowyn, Emily, Elva, Arya, Josephine, Cordelia, Samantha, and now Hope. Every single name that Greg put forth was shot down with screaming. Greg threw out Samantha in the hopes of making her laugh. It wasn’t a serious contender for him. It didn’t make her laugh.</p><p>This was exhausting. Greg sighed heavily and turned to go hold his two-day-old daughter. </p><p>*** </p><p>
  <em>Town Square, Denny Fairé, Laoned Mass, Fifth Planet of Solar System 3, 52 Fo.E.</em>
</p><p>“______ Fred! ________________________________________________ __________________________________________.</p><p>“___ Auntie-”</p><p>“_______________________.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 59 E.E. DR</em>
</p><p>“Hi Fred, you cute little munchkin you,” Samantha cooed at her niece. </p><p>She could hear Emilia screaming at Gregory again. The screaming was tapering off a bit, maybe they finally agreed on a name? She turned around, bouncing the baby lightly in her arms.</p><p>Greg approached. The look on his face was… there weren’t words for how Samantha thought Greg felt. ‘Maybe it was like having to put down your favorite hunting dog the same day you find out that the bank wants your land? Sounds about right,’ she thought.</p><p>“Why did you call her Fred?”</p><p>Samantha was silent. She didn’t want to admit an addiction to early 2000s primetime television. “I liked the name?” She asked.</p><p>***</p><h3>
  <strong>30 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 58 Si.E.</em>
</p><p>Malug Ullu Rusur had sensed the presence of sentient beings appear on the eighth planet of the second solar system recently, and went to investigate. It was an uninhabited planet, and there were only three...no four lives that he sensed, so they would likely struggle if they were not familiar with this world - and from the way they felt, he guessed they were not from this dimension.</p><p>Upon arriving, Malug Ullu Rusur _______________________________________________ ________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _______________________ ______________________ ________ Hope, _____________________ ______________________________________________________ _____________________________________ _________, Malug Ullu Rusur ____________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ______________________ ___________________ ________ ________________________________ ________________________________________________ ____________________________ ________________ _____________ _______________________________ ______________________________ Malug Ullu Rusur ____________________________________ ________________________ _____________________________________ ___________________________________ _____________________________________ ________________________________________ _____________________________ ______________________ ________________________________ _______________. Malug Ullu Rusur ______________ ______________________________________ _______________________________________ ____________________________________ Malug Ullu Rusur __________________________________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________________________ __________________ _____________________ ___________________________</p><p>Malug Ullu Rusur blessed Emilia with an innate ability to use healing magic and gave her a piece of his dragon soul which would extend her life beyond that of an ordinary human - like he had for Mana so long ago - and which would also grant her an affinity to ullu, water. As for Greg, Malug Ullu Rusur blessed him with an innate appraisal ability to be able to innately identify the properties of what he appraised and also gave him a piece of his dragon soul which would extend his life and grant him an affinity to ullu. Meanwhile, Mallug Ullu Rusur blessed the fiery Samantha with a mapping and tracking ability (he designed it to function similarly to games she had memories of playing) and gave her a piece of his dragon soul which would extend her life and grant her an affinity to rusur, fire. </p><p>It took quite some time for Malug Ullu Rusur to settle on the final blessing, as the young one was still forming; however, Malug Ullu Rusur felt great potential within the young one, and finally decided to bless her with limited precognition and a piece of his dragon soul that would extend her life and grant her an affinity with both ullu and rusur for this young one was incredibly special.</p><p>***<br/>
<em>Somewhere in Vintelium, mid 1246 S.E.</em></p><p>It had been a little over a year since Aman had begun traveling with the children. Both Rune and Percival had proven resilient and strong in the face of the many hardships ahead of them, but there were things beyond their control. Like him, neither had any solid leads on how to completely destroy the Great Evil, though there were some possibilities - ones that Aman did not wish to contemplate. Ones that he soon would have to.</p><p>Time was running out.</p><p>A seal like the one their father had placed was not meant to contain something so powerful as the Great Evil, nor could it last forever. The seal was weakening, and it showed. Though it was clear Rune tried to hide it, she was having a harder time maintaining control, and there were more times that Percival had to give her blood to tighten the seal.</p><p>“Aman.” Rune’s soft voice greeted his ears and he looked down at her from his place in the tree. It was night and he was keeping watch.</p><p>“It is late, Rune, you should be asleep.” He hopped down from the tree nevertheless, gracefully alightling on his feet.</p><p>Rune glanced over her shoulder at the place where Percival slept by the fire. “I didn’t want him to overhear.”</p><p>Aman nodded. He had expected such a conversation.</p><p>“I” Rune paused. She seemed conflicted. “Is there anyway to prevent this from-” She struggled to finish the sentence. Whether it was a fight to find words the seal would allow her to speak or simply a wish to deny the horrible truth which was before her, Aman was not sure.</p><p>He placed a hand on her shoulder. “There is one way I can think of, but I would rather not use it.”</p><p>Rune looked him dead in the eye. “Tell me.”</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Somewhere in the Spiritheum Dunes, Vintelium, late 1246 S.E. </em>
</p><p>Percival grit his teeth and clenched his fist. He tried with all his might to control his anger and not punch Aman into Nullerne. “There has to be another way!”</p><p>Aman shook his head calmly. “I understand how you feel-”</p><p>“No!” Percival shouted.________________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________________________ ________________<br/>
“It is the only way.” Aman replied, voice grim. __________________________________________________ ___________________________________ ____________________________________________ _________________ _______________________ ______ He looked Percival in the eyes. “You and I both know we have no other choice.”</p><p>Percival turned his back on Aman and pulled his sword from its sheet. “It had better work.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>With those words, Percival ran out from the cover of the dune he and Aman had been hidden behind and shouted to get the Great Evil’s attention. ________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________ _______________________ ______________ ________________ __________________ ______________________ ___________________________________ _____________________  __________ ____________________ ___________________<br/>
Percival steadied himself, raising his sword and positioning it just so as a melody floated across the dunes - a melody that had no name and no equal. A golden light accompanied the melody and restrained the Great Evil momentarily when it was only a few feet from Percival’s location, and he took that as his cue. He lunged forward, impaling his sister’s body with his sword.</p><p>Immediately, there was an explosion of darkness as it seemed to shoot out of Rune’s body even as her blood spilled onto Percival’s sword and she collapsed against him. Aman’s melody grew, and golden light entwined with darkness in a fierce struggle the likes of which Percival knew he would never be able to describe. And then, all at once, the melody ceased just as it reached a crescendo, and the golden light pushed the darkness with one final blast away from Dootenya, casting it far into the recesses of the first solar system.</p><p>But as it was cast away, a piece of the darkness hurtled toward one of the dunes, burying into it, and the world shook. For a moment, Percival feared the banishing had failed, that his sister had died in vain. Then Aman appeared from somewhere nearby, stumbling, weak.</p><p>“It is finished, though it is not over.” Aman stated. “The Great Evil is banished, and it will take quite a long time for it to return.” He collapsed to the ground. </p><p>Percival would have caught the deity, but his sister’s limp body was in his arms, and he could not bear to let her go. Not yet.</p><p>The world shook again, and Percival was unable to maintain his footing. He fell to the ground, Rune still in his arms.</p><p>Aman dragged himself over to the two and placed a hand on Rune’s forehead. “The Great Evil has taken a great revenge.” He spoke with a sadness Percival rarely heard from the deity. “Your sister, and the Core Oak.”</p><p>Percival looked at Aman in alarm. “But that means that Dootenya-”</p><p>Aman shook his head. “The amount of darkness which has hit the Core Oak is enough to weaken it, but not to destroy it.___________________________________ ___________________________________________________ _________________________________ Rune’s ___________ Percival’s __________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________ ____________<br/>
Percival ______________________Aman __________________________________________________ ___________________________________ Aman ______________________________________________________________________ Percival_________________________________________ Rune ___________________.</p><p>“Percival.” _____________________________________________________________ Percival _______________ Aman __________<br/>
“Sister.” Percival placed a hand on her cheek. “I am so sorry.”</p><p>Rune_____________________________Percival _______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________Percival______________________________________________<br/>
Percival ___________________________________________________________________________ _________________________ _____________________ _______________ _________________________________________________________ _____________________________________ ______________ ________________</p><p>He had saved many lives, yes. But at what cost?</p><p>***<br/>
<em>Ruins of Oreol Manor, Aidil Men, Humali Republic, Dootenya, Poscom System, late 825 Fi.E.</em></p><p>Mana looked at the ruined manor then looked to the two people on either side of her. It had taken seven hundred years to find them, and now the Darkness had begun to appear just as Aman had indicated it would. Now was the time.</p><p>She certainly had not expected these companions. One was like a mushroom, the other like a block of ice. Yet she was undeniably led to them. And so, she had brought them here at long last. This would be the first of many steps in their journey to defeat the darkness.</p><p>They must absorb the essence of Aman.</p><p>_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Mana _________________________<br/>
“Ready?” </p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 60 Si.E.</em>
</p><p>Dev had been wandering the second solar system for around a year now. Two years ago they had come of age and learned the truth about themself - they were the reincarnation of Daemoran, of the Great Evil, of the Darkness. They were the fourth coming. They had been, for the past two years trying to come to terms with this.</p><p>They had yet to do so.</p><p>Still, Dev knew that something had to be done, and so they decided they would isolate themselves - look for an uninhabited location where they could lead a solitary life completely away from everyone else. Perhaps then they could never hurt anyone.</p><p>And so they had come to the second solar system where there were still unexplored places. After some time, they had ended up in their current location, and - seeing as there was no response from the radio call or the magic message Dev had sent before landing their single-man exploration ship - this seemed to be an uninhabited landmass.</p><p>It should have been anyway.</p><p>And yet, around noon Dev had stumbled upon a log cabin inhabited by not one, not two, not three, but four humans. Granted, one was no more than a year old at the most, but still. Where had they come from?</p><p>Dev was very curious, but they didn’t have the right to be, and so they turned around to leave, hoping that the black magic they had used to disguise their presence while verifying this was in fact an uninhabited landmass (which it obviously wasn’t) would keep them from being detected.</p><p>“Show yourself!” One of the humans shouted.</p><p>Dev froze and turned slowly. Sure enough, one of the humans - the female in the pink tunic and leggings - was facing Dev’s general direction and holding a hot pink buck knife at the ready. The other woman quickly grabbed a bow from nearby and pulled an arrow taut against it as the man grabbed the infant who had been crawling on the ground nearby and moved behind the women.</p><p>Well, there was no avoiding it.</p><p>Dev dropped the black magic cloak and came forward with hands raised. “I mean you no harm.” They said. “Just looking for a place to live as a hermit for the rest of my life.”</p><h3>
  <strong>31 December 2020</strong>
  </h3><p>
  <em>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 60 E.E. DR</em>
</p><p>Emilia was not happy. There was a stranger that seemed...off. They reminded her of the box-entity from the dimension left of her home dimension. They projected sincerity, but she wasn’t too sure about them. </p><p>She continued to aim her bow and arrow at him and Samantha didn’t let her guard down at all. The woman was vicious in the defense of her niece. </p><p>Emilia could sense her husband and daughter behind them. Then her daughter sneezed. </p><p>The person caught on fire. Emilia dropped the bow in shock. </p><p>“I TOLD you it wasn’t me!” Samantha yelled, turning to glare at Greg and Emilia simultaneously.  </p><p>Greg somewhat calmly replied but Emilia was more distracted by the non-screaming reaction of the hermit-person her beautiful, wonderful, blessed, eleven-month-old daughter just set on fire. </p><p>Emilia didn’t know what to do or how to react, so she fell on her old standby: make a list.</p><p>1.	Her daughter has powers<br/>
2.	Her daughter can light things on fire<br/>
3.	They don’t need matches anymore<br/>
4.	Her daughter needs to be trained<br/>
5.	Samantha is going to train Fred<br/>
6.	Samantha is going to gloat</p><p>Emilia was so used to ending her lists with Samantha that she naturally added anything with Samantha to the end of her lists. Greg and Samantha were also so incredibly used to this that if Emilia was making a list and hadn’t ended it yet, they threw out something related to Samantha to end it preemptively. </p><p>Emilia began to pay attention to her surroundings again. Samantha was still on guard, standing threateningly between them and the hermit-person. Greg was still holding Fred, and was attempting to calm Fred’s giggling down. And also telling her that lighting people on fire was not a good thing. The stranger was still on fire, still not screaming, and still smiling?</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Poscom System, 830 Fi.E</em>
</p><p>People were shocked by a book that suddenly appeared on bookshelves throughout the Poscom System. It was about the last few years on Qwayla and what led to the Exodus and Banishment of the Qways.</p><p>
  <em>Ratrid, Cheyenne, Qwayla, 10th day of Nine, 10,170 E.N.</em>
</p><p>From <em>The Plague Years</em> by A Descendant of Qwin, “Chapter 1: A Brief History”:</p><p>“People were unhappy. People had been unhappy for a long time on Qwayla. The Council of Nine (The Nine) had been gathering their power for almost five millenia. The Nine had been relatively quiet about gathering power before the separation. Many Qways who were unhappy with the pre-isolation government left. They left for Dootenya, they left for Tierra, they left to explore the unknown. </p><p>“Those left behind after the Separation could not leave. There were many Qwa Trees to check before one could even think about leaving Qwayla. One of these was a detailed history of your family. As a descendant of Qwin Aylana, I could not leave. Not without being banished from the only home I had ever known. Aylana’s descendants were not allowed to leave. And I was descended from two lines. My mother’s line came from Aylana’s granddaughter that had been allowed to live on Qwayla with her mother and Aylana. My paternal line came from Aylana’s only daughter. </p><p>“One of the Aylana children who had fought decades to get power from their mother. One of the Aylana children who sued their mother no less than twenty times. One of the Aylana children that caused The Nine to ban all three of Aylana’s children from Qwayla completely. One of the Aylana children whose descendants are completely barred from visiting Qwayla pre-Separation. One of the Aylana children whose descendants are completely barred from becoming a citizen of Qwayla. </p><p>“My existence gave me perks as a direct descendant of Aylana’s favored son, but also made my citizenship, home, and life a legal impossibility from my paternal line. After gifting me with this knowledge, my sperm-donor left the meeting with an altered view.” </p><p>From <em>The Plague Years</em> by A Descendant of Qwin, “Chapter 5: The Plague”:</p><p>“It began with the Qwa Trees exploding. They began to explode with no warning. The largest tree farm on Qwayla lost an entire grove directly after the death of the owner. </p><p>“There were reports taken from The Nine that claimed that the owner showed symptoms of the plague, but the grove that was wiped out from explosions blew up the house, where the owner laid in state.* </p><p>“*Footnote: The Qway honor their dead for a week before burial. It is a week-long event with mourners and family members coming by throughout the week to tell stories and remember the deceased as they lived. May they be in with the Qwa Trees. </p><p>“This explosion vastly reduced the amount of breathable air in the atmosphere of Qwayla. Many off-planet did not know that the Qwa Trees were efficient air makers and purifiers. They only know the Qwa Trees for being tempermentel to grow and wonderful wood for furniture. They supplied at least 80 percent of Qwayla’s air supply. The destruction of one tree could be catastrophic to the environment. The loss of a grove? It was worse. </p><p>“The Nine had quelled rumors of the loss of a grove on Macaonit really well until more trees began to explode on Cheyenne, Gian, and Isatemukeh. This caused people to panic. The Nine began to let people voluntarily leave Qwayla for the first time in almost 500 years. This caused people to panic more and believe that the rumors were true: Qwayla was dying.</p><p>“It turned out that Qwayla was not dying, the Qway were. </p><p>“The Nine speculated that Qwa Trees were the cause of the plague. There was no evidence found to support that accusation against the beloved planetary treasure. </p><p>“The Qwa Tree plague began with a different discoloration to the Qwa Trees. Instead of turning brighter, they spotted. These spots turned darker in color. The darker the spots were, the closer they were to a random explosion. </p><p>“The Qway Plague began with sores. They itched much like a pox, but the sores were open. These sores seeped a clear liquid from them, drying the skin near the sores. This caused the sufferer to scratch even more. </p><p>“Then the chills set in along with difficulty breathing. One in the advanced stage of the plague needed to have a steady supply of air and warmth. They also needed to be supervised. </p><p>“Those who supervised those in the advanced stage were guaranteed to develop the plague. Those buildings with plague victims were marked and bodies were disposed of quickly. We could not honor our deceased. It was a dark time on Qwayla.”</p><p>*** </p><p>
  <em>Unexplored Landmass, Eighth Planet of Solar System 2, 60 Si.E.</em>
</p><p>Dev felt light. They were on fire, but they were not burning. That child set them free from a weight that they did not know they were carrying. </p><p>One of the women had dropped her bow and was staring at them in disbelief. The look on her face was quite comical. </p><p>The other woman and the man holding the child were talking. The woman still held her hot pink knife towards them as a threat while she talked with the man. Dev could only make out a few words from their discussion. </p><p>“-Red-no-fire-bad,” came in a deeper voice.</p><p>“-Ood job. -cold-her. Fr-id-ud,” replied along with movement from the front woman’s lips. The woman had also adjusted her stance to cover the other woman who dropped her weapon.</p><p>Dev knew that they had a smile on their face. They did not care how it made them look. They felt AMAZING.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Iâring, Dootenya, Poscom System, 150 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>It had taken five years for Rhîwgwaewen to reach Iâring. It was an extremely cold place, colder than Rhîwgwaewen already was, but also incredibly beautiful in an eerie sort of way. As she placed one hand gently on the ice blocking the entrance, she heard an ancient melody echo in her mind.</p><p>
  <em>Ahnsul finsha di naran. Cari laden frisarey, naru dishi lara an.</em>
</p><p>The words were in a language older than any Rhîwgwaewen knew of, perhaps even older than the first era. They were calling her, calling her to the heart of the cold.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Somewhere in Dootenya, Poscom System, 1634 Fo.E.</em>
</p><p>_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________<br/>
***</p><p>
  <em>Iâring, Dootenya, Poscom System, 151 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>It was cold. So cold. And dark. Rhîwgwaewen remembered this. Remembered this feeling. It was painful. So cold.</p><p>But there was something else. Something it wanted to show her. Something she needed to know, needed to feel. It was calling her, calling her to come further in, deeper into the heart.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Mountains somewhere in Dootenya, Poscom System, 1712 Fo.E.</em>
</p><p>_______________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ______________________ ________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________ ____________________________________________ __________________________ __________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ _____________ _____________________________________________________________ ________________________________________ _______________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ ____________________________ _____________________________________ __________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________ ____________________ _______________________________________ ____________________________ ________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ __________________________________ _________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________________________________ _____________________________________________ _______________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ____________________________ _________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________ ___________________________________ _________________________________________________ ______________________________<br/>
***</p><p>
  <em>Iâring, Dootenya, Poscom System, 152 Fi.E.</em>
</p><p>Rhîwgwaewen wasn’t really sure how much time had passed since she got here. This place was cold and the farther in she went the more memories kept resurfacing. She was growing colder than she ever thought she could be.</p><p>She entered a chamber where the song was louder than anywhere before. It seemed to be coming from a block of ice larger than she was in the center of the chamber. It was the heart. It was calling her.</p><p>She reached out, and suddenly the melody was everywhere, around her, caressing her, in her. It was cold, very cold, but at the same time it was somehow warm.</p><p>A million memories began swirling in her mind. At some point, the memories stopped being hers. She started to see memories that belonged to her family, then memories that belonged to other people she had come in contact with, then people she didn’t even know. She felt them. The memories. They were calling her deeper into the heart, deeper into the cold.</p><p>She let herself fall.</p><p>Rhîwgwaewen didn’t know how much time had passed, but at some point the music and the memories suddenly stopped. They were not gone, though. She felt them tucked securely inside her. But it was cold. Very cold.</p><p>Then it was warm. She felt someone hugging her. Slowly, she felt her limbs begin to move, and she realized she had actually frozen solid. Whoever was hugging her was singing something quietly by her ear. It felt familiar, like it was part of the same language  of the song that called her deeper into the heart, but it was a different song.</p><p>When she felt warm for the first time in more than a hundred years, the body pulled away and she saw a man with sharp ears and the most beautiful black horns alive with writhing flames and water droplets. He smiled at her before disappearing. </p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>Corrupted Spiritheum Dunes, Vintelium, Dootenya, Poscom System, 830 Fi.E. </em>
</p><p>It was fitting, Mana thought, that the fight against the darkness would bring them here. No one had set foot in the Corrupted Spiritheum Dunes in ages - not that lived to tell about it anyway - but they had come here. Mana shuddered as she reinforced the magical barrier around herself, Trei, and Winter. The three of them had been accosted by all manner of dark beings since entering the dunes, and she was running low on mana - something rare for her.</p><p>“There!” Trei pointed ahead - Mana still wasn’t used to the mushroom-like fae’s arms which at once existed and didn’t. It was as if, whenever Trei needed them, the arms appeared, and - when they didn’t - the arms settled once more into the mushroom-shaped body which Mana learned never to state was mushroom-like. Not aloud anyway.</p><p>Up ahead there was a large cluster of demonic beings and something that made Mana shudder even more than the dark atmosphere of the corrupted dunes: it was a large, black hand. There was no arm or body connected to the hand. It was just the hand, and it was large. Larger than some of the dunes.</p><p>Winter dashed ahead, shooting ice from her hands as she went, knocking down the foremost demonic beings. Trei followed, spinning in circles and spreading what could only be called spores in the air. Where the spores landed, mushrooms sprang up - though these mushrooms were unlike any you would find in an ordinary forest. These mushrooms had fangs and they moved. They moved in the direction of the demonic beings and engaged in a fierce battle.</p><p>Mana stood her ground in the rearguard, casting protective magic as necessary and moving about in what anyone else would have called a highly erratic pattern. As she did so, she spent her scant remaining mana to lay down tracks in the sand of the dunes. She knew what she was doing for she was guided by the words she had been reading for over seven hundred years and the melody which begged to be released from her throat.</p><p>At long last when there was no mana left in her, she called to the others. “Now!”</p><p>All three began to sing. It was a song that had no name and no equal, and one that they themselves could not tell another how to sing. It was a song that had become a part of them.</p><p>A gold light began to spring up along the lines Mana had traced in the ground earlier and each of the three began to shimmer in golden light as well. As the last note of a three-part harmony was struck, the song ceased, and the golden light swirled tumultuously about, launching at the dark hand which had swung against the nearest dune and swallowing it up. There was a moment of utter silence then as if even the wind was holding its breath. And then the light coalesced and rocketed into the sky like a shooting start in reverse before exploding in a grand display and sprinkling down over the dunes like many fine flakes of light. Though if one looked closely, they would see a small streak of light swirling with darkness floating up, up, up, and into orbit around Dootenya until one year later when it descended to a small, isolated village at the border between the Humali Republic and Vintelium and a human woman widowed at a young age discovered a dark-skinned infant that she would raise until her death in 57 Si.E. when the child seemed to be an adult and she was on her deathbed.</p><p>
  <em>A voice Echoing in the Great Vastness, Time Immemorial</em>
</p><p>At the inception of all, there was light and dark, good and bad, despair and hope. At the inception of all, there was all, and there was balance. Then something happened that shifted that balance in favor of the darkness, of the bad, of despair. But even then there was light. As ever, there was good. For always, there is hope. And so, in time the balance shifted again, back to the center. And eventually hope won out, though despair lingered.</p><p>In the first era, or the second if you prefer that reckoning, when the Peoples were awoken, a deity was tricked and released a Great Evil into the world. This deity then banished that evil but was greatly weakened in doing so.</p><p>In the second era, or the third, if you prefer that reckoning, the Great Evil returned and was again banished by the very same deity that banished it the first time, though deep scars remained in the worlds, and a boy was forced to slay his sister in order to save her.</p><p>In the third era, or fourth if you prefer that reckoning, the worlds faced near annihilation. The scars in the worlds left behind by the Great Evil sickened the worlds until they came to the brink of collapse and only the sacrifice of those who stand guard over the worlds - the Guardians - could save them.</p><p>In the fourth era, or fifth if you prefer that reckoning, the Peoples of the worlds found the boundaries. This was an era of relative balance in which good and bad were in harmony. But the evil had not been fully flushed from its throne.</p><p>In the fifth era, or the seventh if you prefer that reckoning, the Darkness rose once again. This time it was pushed back by the three Great Heroes, those blessed by the final Guardian and chosen by the deity who had first erred so long ago to right his wrong. A great chorus of hope encircled the darkness, and it was cast out again, but not destroyed.</p><p>In the sixth era, or the eighth if you prefer that reckoning, at the hands of a single infant giggling in her father’s arms, darkness was lifted from a heart weighed heavily by despair, and the balance of the worlds returned.</p><p>Through it all, the worlds have been greatly changed, reshaped time and again, touched by that which did not originally belong. And so to did the worlds touch that which entered without permission and shape them into inhabitants of the worlds - though they remain entirely not of the worlds as well, free to travel between the worlds and the place from which they came.</p><p>As for those of the worlds, there are many more stories to tell. For each life, there is a story, and we have only heard and told a few. Some were cut short, and some were over-long. The man who was made a vessel and killed twice was but a moment in time - a story that was not given its due course. The infant with a special magic born human yet granted life far beyond her intended years outlived her story and yet little is known of the first several hundred years of her existence. And what of the knight who served faithfully even when his masters could no longer afford his services? Will we learn his story? One day, certainly. For every life has a story.</p><p>But there is one more thing which must be said now. One thing which everyone who hears this voice should heed. So listen well.</p><p>Each story that you have heard thus far is entirely real and yet unreal. Each story was lived, each life, each step, each breath. And yet each story was entirely made up. That is, each story was and was not. I wonder, listeners, when you will realize why. Perhaps I should say.</p><p>Perhaps not.</p><p>Instead, I will leave you with one final note: Go and live your story well.</p><p>
  <em>The End</em>
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